The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Both players have been sidelined due to persistent injuries affecting their ability to participate in the playoffs.
Jalen Williams, who has been struggling with a strained left hamstring, will miss another game. His injury has been a recurring issue throughout the playoffs, causing him to miss multiple games. During the regular season, Williams was absent from 49 out of 82 games because of wrist and hamstring problems. This upcoming game makes it the tenth playoff match he will not participate in this year because of his hamstring.
Ajay Mitchell, who took on a starting role when Williams was injured, has also been troubled by injury. He suffers from a strained right soleus. Consequently, Jared McCain has stepped in to start alongside key players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Chet Holmgren.
On a positive note for the Spurs, they report no injuries heading into this decisive Game 7.
The referees appointed by the NBA for this critical matchup are Marc Davis, John Goble, and Josh Tiven. Notably, this will be the second Game 7 assignment in this playoff season for both Davis and Tiven. Davis officiated in the final game of the Cleveland-Detroit series in the second round, while Tiven handled Game 7 of Orlando-Detroit in the first round.