Is Jalen Williams going to be all right? That question may have crossed the minds of attendees at the Chase Center after what transpired in the 1st half. We’ve seen more injuries this season than ever before. The OKC Thunder was in as bad of a situation as a team could get, with not one, but SEVEN of their players listed on the report for the recent Warriors matchup. Therefore, the last thing the team, and its fans, would’ve wanted was to see another one bite the dust. Lo and behold…

During the 2nd quarter of the Warriors-OKC game, Jalen Williams sustained an eye injury. This occurred after Jonathan Kuminga attempted to make a dunk and accidentally hit the OKC star in the face. JK’s face also came into contact with Williams’ hand, but the Bay Area player was left unscathed. Meanwhile, the OKC star remained down on the floor as the medical staff gathered around him.

Within a few seconds, the hoopster got up and left for the locker room. In the absence of an official update, it is hard to determine the seriousness of the injury. Despite this, NBA enthusiasts are not wasting any time in sharing their reactions. After all, injuries after injuries in games is something that not any sports fan would be wishing for.

Fans cannot believe their eyes after Jalen Williams’ sudden injury: “This is ridiculous”

One social media user highlighted that he was not upset at Jalen Williams’ injury but at the league as a whole. This supposedly compelled him to write, “If Jalen Williams doesn’t come back then nothing will change my mind that the NBA is rigged.” Yikes!

All one needs to do is check the NBA injury status section on ESPN to know the long, LONG list of players suffering from ailments. In light of this, it wouldn’t be too crazy for fans to assume that something foul is afoot. However, no evidence can indicate the authenticity of ‘rigged’ claims.

One fan complained about the apparent silence, stating “Are we gonna get an update? This is ridiculous”.

The official X account of Underdog NBA confirmed that Jalen Williams won’t return for the remaining minutes. According to reporters, he did not come out with the rest of the team during halftime. The team is working on the player, revealing no further details on the type of injury he sustained.

Another social media user used the update to highlight how the Warriors have somehow come out as a big bane for OKC. He did so by writing “Warriors took out Chet and JDub in back to back games”, accompanied by a melting face emoji.

It was only 2-3 weeks ago when the Warriors and OKC had their first regular season game of this edition. During the 1st quarter in that game too, a major blow hit OKC when Chet Holmgren left the game after falling painfully in the lane. Later, reports indicated he sustained a right iliac wing fracture. He’s been absent for 8 consecutive games now, worsening OKC’s already worse situation.

One social media user revealed, “Oklahoma City has really struggled since the Jalen Williams injury — on both ends.” OKC did struggle with their scoring after Williams’ early exit. The Thunder squad had a 39-23 lead in the 1st quarter, but the Warriors were catching up. Slowly and steadily. Even with Jalen Williams out, OKC still had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The talismanic point guard made proper use of his 39 minutes to drop 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.

SGA also received assistance from the Isaiahs (Isaiah Joe and Isaiah Hartenstein), as they made 17 and 14 points, respectively. Before his exit, Jalen Williams himself had made a memorable contribution, dropping 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in 16 minutes.

All of this contributed to OKC securing the win! A close one too, since the score was only 105-101 by the end of the game.

One individual took a shot at the Warriors by writing, “Dirtiest team in the NBA, 10 years in a row. The franchise should be banned from the league.”

Some personal bias may have existed here, as seen amongst various NBA fans. However, there is no denying that the Warriors squad quite often finds themselves amid physical incidents. Draymond Green has certainly created a reputation for himself with his trash-talking and physicality on the court. However, the injuries have not spared the Warriors themselves. We have now seen the same, with De’Anthony Melton sidelined. Therefore, calling outright for their ban may be taking things a bit to the extreme.

Overall, the reactions displayed animosity towards the Warriors, the league, and a little bit of OKC too. The Thunder survived to fight another day. However, the longer Jalen Williams stays out, the lower their odds of success will continue to be.