Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 34 in a win over the Clippers, but a scary leg injury to Jalen Williams overshadowed Oklahoma City's 3-0 start.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still unbeaten, but nobody in their locker room was celebrating. On Sunday night they edged the Los Angeles Clippers 108-101 for a third straight win to open the season, and it came at a heavy cost.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his part with 34 points, steering OKC through a tight contest. The night changed with 1:14 left, when All-Star guard Jalen Williams went down hard on a drive to the basket. His left leg buckled on the landing and his foot bent at an unnatural angle.
The 25-year-old was taken off the court on a stretcher, with towels draped over the injured leg. Williams covered his mouth with both hands as he looked down at the damage. Gilgeous-Alexander and players from both teams looked stunned. The Thunder star was emotional afterward, and the message from the team was blunt: "We're not doing great."
Williams was not the only casualty. Oklahoma City lost three players to injury in the game, which makes this a rough early stretch for the Thunder despite the perfect record. The team expects to learn more about Williams' status on Monday, and the basketball world will be waiting on that update.
