Oklahoma City faces Game 5 uncertainty with injuries | JQJO

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder will be short-handed for Tuesday night’s pivotal Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, with guard Ajay Mitchell ruled out and forward Jalen Williams listed as questionable. Mitchell, a second-year guard who had taken on an expanded offensive role earlier in the postseason, suffered a right soleus strain in the third quarter of Game 3 and missed Game 4. Williams, a former All-Star and All-NBA wing, has managed a left hamstring injury since April 22, when he was hurt in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, and he re-aggravated the injury in Game 2 against San Antonio.

Williams sat out the Thunder’s second-round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers and remained sidelined for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals, as the team updated his status from left hamstring soreness to a left hamstring strain under injury management. Without Williams and Mitchell, Oklahoma City struggled in a 103-82 loss in Game 4, shooting 33 percent, committing 20 turnovers and seeing two-time reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held to 19 points. The Spurs enter Game 5 at full strength, while the Thunder list only big man Thomas Sorber, out all season with an ACL injury, in addition to Mitchell and Williams. The series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 set for 8:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center and the winner moving ahead 3-2 with two opportunities to reach the 2026 NBA Finals.