Jalen Williams is set for wrist surgery after managing injury through Thunder's title run

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams is planning to have surgery on his right wrist after the Oklahoma City forward tore a ligament before the Thunder started their run to a championship, general manager Sam Presti said Monday.

Williams played in all 23 postseason games in helping the Thunder win their first NBA title since moving to Oklahoma from Seattle 17 years ago. He scored a playoff career-high 40 points in a 120-109 win over Indiana in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City beat the Pacers in seven games.

The 24-year-old Williams is expected to be ready for next season, Presti said. Williams was inactive for the final two games of the regular season after playing 36 minutes in a 125-112 victory over Phoenix on April 9.

Williams wrote a brace on the wrist on his shooting hand at times during the playoffs and had it taped during games. He shot just 30% from 3-point range in the playoffs, more than 6% off his percentage during the regular season.

“The part that I’m most impressed with is in our modern era, when someone has a poor performance or they’re not playing to their capability in a game and there’s a lot of attention on it, you often see a little birdie make sure that everybody knows that the player is not 100%,” Presti said during his season-ending meeting with reporters. “Never happened with this guy, not one time. He powered through. He showed incredible mental endurance and security in himself.”

A first-time All-Star in his third season after the Thunder drafted him 12th overall out of Santa Clara in 2022, Williams averaged career bests of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams reacts during the second half of Game 7 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, and No. 2 Michigan beat No. 24 Southern California 96-66 on Friday night.

Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points for the Wolverines (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten), and Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 10.

Michigan is off to its best start since it won 17 straight games to start the 2018-19 season.

Jaden Brownell scored 16 points and Erza Ausar added 15 for the Trojans (12-2, 1-2), whose only previous loss was by eight points against Washington on Dec. 6. Chad Baker-Mazara, who came into the game averaging 21 points, was hampered by early foul trouble and finished with 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Michigan starting guard Nimari Burnett was helped from the court with 16:25 left after falling during a battle under the basket. He went down to the floor and appeared to be bleeding above his eyebrow and holding his ankle. He sat on the bench the rest of the night.

The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers. USC got within five points twice in the first half and Michigan responded with a 32-19 run to build a 49-31 halftime advantage.

USC got no closer the rest of the way.

USC: At No. 9 Michigan State on Monday.

Michigan: Visits Penn State on Tuesday.

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Michigan center Aday Mara, front, drives against Southern California center Gabe Dynes, back, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)