The lights atop Devon Tower illuminated Oklahoma City on Monday night, providing a much-need bright spot during a dark time.
They formed the No. 8. A showing of support for Thunder star Jalen Williams, who fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle on the left side during a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. He’s now set to undergo surgery, at which point a timeline for his return will then be determined.
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It was a touching tribute, but the man himself wasn’t fully satisfied. After going dark on social media throughout the past 24 hours, Williams broke his silence by replying to a picture of Devon Tower on X. He had to fully shed light on the situation.
“Throw a 22 on der too,” Williams replied.
That’s the number of Cason Wallace, who also exited OKC’s game against Los Angeles with an injury. He ran into an illegal screen set by Isaiah Jackson during the first quarter and went into the tunnel under his own power, clutching what appeared to be a dislocated left shoulder.
It didn’t raise significant red flags. Neither did OKC’s initial injury update, which said Wallace was out for the rest of the game due to left shoulder soreness. The scene certainly didn’t shock the system as much as watching Williams being stretchered away during the fourth quarter after falling awkwardly on his left leg, causing his ankle to turn to a 90-degree angle.
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But when Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced Williams’ injury on Monday, he also announced that Wallace tore his labrum in his left shoulder. He’ll require surgery as well, at which point a timeline for his return will be determined. And as Williams pointed out, Wallace deserves the same support while he tries to overcome this major setback.
“Honestly, the biggest thing is I just feel bad for Dub and Caso,” Thunder forward Jaylin Williams said. “It’s just trying to help them stay positive. I know it’s super tough when you want to be out there with your teammates. You work the whole summer, however long, to get healthy and play, and it feels like everything just goes to waste. So it’s just trying to keep them to stay positive through what they’re going through.”
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Plenty of people wore Williams’ jersey to OKC’s home game against the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Some of them were likely influenced by OKC Mayor David Holt, who urged fans to do so. Again, this was before the full extent of Wallace’s injury had been announced.
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Even Isaiah Hartenstein had the No. 8 on full display. He pulled up to Paycom Center on Monday wearing a Jalen Williams jersey, and he wore it backwards to make sure it was unmistakable for everyone he came across.
Hartenstein said he purchased the jersey last season from the team shop, which somehow had one that fit the 7-footer. His plan was to wear it back then because Williams was injured at the time, but that never happened because he also got hurt. So when Williams sustained his latest injury, Hartenstein already had the threads on short notice.
Still, that explanation didn’t stop Wallace from joking with Hartenstein about his choice of clothing.
“Cason texted me when he saw the picture and was like, ‘Oh, so you’re not wearing my jersey?'” Hartenstein said with a laugh. “And I was like, ‘I already had a Dub jersey, so relax.’ I might have to find a Cason jersey so he doesn’t get his feelings hurt.”
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In all seriousness, Hartenstein was already repping Wallace, too. All of the Thunder’s players were Monday.
Despite being less than 24 hours removed from watching two starters go down, OKC rallied to earn a 125-114 home win over Phoenix. And a key component to that victory was its work to contain Devin Booker, who surely would’ve been Wallace’s primary assignment.
OKC held Booker to just three points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field (0 for 2 from deep) in 34 minutes. It was a drastic dropoff from his 43-point performance in a win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. And it was a result of a group defensive effort, from Ajay Mitchell to Alex Caruso to Kenrich Williams to Jared McCain to Bennett Stirtz to Josh Dix.
“We kind of felt like we had to do that for them,” Mitchell said. “I know how hard those guys want to be out there playing, so the only thing we could do is just go out there and compete at the highest level and get a win for them. I think that was our mindset. We know we’ve got to have their backs. That’s what we’re focused on, making sure they’re good mentally and going out there and competing for them.”
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Cason Wallace injury update: OKC Thunder guard needs surgery on left shoulder
It’d be even better if Wallace was actually competing alongside them.
This was supposed to be a big season for the 22-year-old guard, who became a full-time starter after OKC traded Lu Dort during the summer. He was supposed to prove he was worth every penny of the five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension he signed on Oct. 18.
Of course, Wallace will still get an opportunity to do that once he’s healthy. He’ll still get to show why he’s a game changer for OKC with his elite defense and his dangerous transition game. And the Thunder is equally eager to see that day come.
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Until then, they’re keeping the light on for him.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Don’t forget about Cason Wallace. OKC Thunder shows support following shoulder injury
