It’s barely been a week since Jalen Williams dropped a season-high 41 points against the San Antonio Spurs. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 72 points that night. However, it seems as though SGA will have to make do without his partner-in-crime tonight for the rest of the second leg of the back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets.

Why? Well, things didn’t look good for Williams after it took him a minute to get up after the foul by Peyton Watson. He stayed in the game before limping to the locker room, clutching his hip. And now we know what’s up, and Thunder fans, you won’t like it. The OKC Thunder forward will not return for the remainder of the Denver Nuggets game.

He seems to have strained his right hip in that fall in the second quarter. Williams had a solid performance with 12 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds in just 14 minutes. What’s worse is his team trails the Denver Nuggets as we speak. His team may struggle to regain their footing in this game, considering how reliable he’s been for them this season.

The OKC Thunder remaining the top-seeded Western Conference team this season is no accident. The duo of Shai and Jalen has been instrumental in their success. Williams entered the Nuggets game with 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. But it’s also the intangibles that make him so important for the Thunder.

Williams is someone who can take the offensive and defensive burden off teammates like Shai. In turn, they can then focus their efforts on doing what they do best. It’s this chemistry that has led to the Thunder remaining atop the West and SGA becoming a top candidate for MVP.

And wouldn’t you know it, the bond between these OKC teammates runs deep even off the court. Just wait till you hear what Jalen has to say about SGA’s MVP bid!

Jalen Williams reveals what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becoming the MVP would mean to him and the Thunder

Even if basketball is a team sport, honors like the MVP award exist to reward players who’ve killed it individually. But how does it affect their teammates when they win it? Do they feel proud? Diminished? Overlooked? Well, we know how Jalen Williams and the OKC Thunder team feel about SGA being primed to win the MVP this season. And let’s just say, it’s really heart-warming to see.

During the post-game press conference for the first Nuggets game, a reporter asked Williams what it would mean to the Thunder to see Shai in the MVP race. Jalen had a really cool response. “It means a lot. Probably more to us than him,” he said. Well … isn’t that sweet?

But he also revealed that the entire team is still locked in on the ultimate goal: winning. “At the same time, we’re all focused on winning. And winning solves a lot of those issues,” said the Thunder forward. With a mindset like this at only 23, it’s no wonder Jalen was putting up such great numbers this season!

Moreover, this mentality has been reflected in his team’s record this season. The Thunder are the only team in the West to have reached 50 wins, with them having 53 at the moment. They trail the Cleveland Cavaliers by one for most wins in the league this season. And as we near the postseason, they’ve got one of the strongest bids for the title.

Even so, we’re all extremely disappointed that Jalen Williams had to walk off hurt tonight. Let’s just hope its nothing serious and that he’s back soon.