Setback for OKC: Two stars will sit out the decisive Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs

Williams, the Thunder's second-leading scorer behind SGA, sat out Games 3–5 of the Western Conference Finals and the entire second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. He first suffered the lingering injury in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

He flashed his form in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, pouring in 26 points on 11-of-25 shooting to go with 7 assists and 3 rebounds. From Game 2 onward, however, his body repeatedly threw a spanner in the works. The injury flared up again in Game 2 and, despite the extended break, clearly hampered him in Game 6 as well.

Head coach Mark Daigneault underlined the point: "He's obviously not at 100 per cent." In Game 6, a 91-118 Thunder rout, Williams logged just one point and two turnovers in ten minutes.

He had already missed most of the regular season, appearing in only 33 games. The 25-year-old had already played through severe pain in last season's playoffs with a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist and needed surgery after winning the title. He told reporters he had received "28 or 29 injections" of lidocaine and cortisone just to stay on the floor.

Months of rehabilitation followed, and he returned to action only in late November. 

In the starting five, Williams will again be replaced by Jared McCain, who joined the team midway through the season in a surprise trade from the Philadelphia 76ers and has averaged 12.6 points per game over the last two playoff rounds. In Game 3 against the Spurs, the rookie even proved to be the match-winner with 24 points.

Alongside Williams, Oklahoma City will also be without guard Ajay Mitchell for the decisive Game 7 against San Antonio. Mitchell has been sidelined since suffering a calf injury in Game 3. 

Mitchell had already shown his growth during the regular season, and he elevated his game further in the semi-finals against the Lakers, posting 18, 20, 24 and, in the decider, 28 points against LeBron James, Austin Reaves and company.

In 57 regular-season games he logged 25.8 minutes per contest, scoring 13.6 points on 48.5% shooting, and adding 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. As a rookie, those numbers were 16.6 minutes and 6.5 points.