Williams Out for Game 5: Thunder Face Playoff Test

Jalen Williams has been ruled out of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals by the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a lingering strained left hamstring. He was initially listed as questionable throughout the day. His typical starter, Lu Dort, was also ruled out with a strained right soleus.

In response, the Thunder inserted rookie Jared McCain into the starting lineup for his first career playoff start. McCain had been averaging 8.8 points in 12 playoff games off the bench. Williams' absence is significant, as he has missed 58 games this season, with 30 games lost to a right hamstring issue and 19 to a wrist problem. His return for Game 1 of the Spurs series saw him score 26 points, but he has not played since Game 2.