How Friday's 2026 NBA playoff results bought Jalen Williams more time

In the NBA playoffs, you live in a constant state of flummox for two-plus months. You can't make any plans from April to June because you have no idea where you're going to be. After the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a Round 1 sweep over the Phoenix Suns in Monday's Game 4 win, they now know when their next game will be.

The Thunder will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, May 5 for Game 1. They clinched their advancement with a 98-78 Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets. And thanks to Friday's other results, Jalen Williams was given more time to recover from his hamstring strain.

Because the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors forced a decisive Game 7 in their respective Round 1 series, the Thunder will open their Round 2 series on Tuesday, May 5, instead of on Sunday, May 3.

Given all that information, let's do some napkin math. Williams sustained a Grade 1 hamstring strain in OKC's Game 2 win over the Suns on Apr. 22. 14 days will have passed between that date and the Thunder's Game 1 against the Lakers on May 5.

We likely won't know Williams' official Game 1 status until Monday's injury report, but you have to like his odds of returning by then. If not by the Round 2 opener, then surely soon after. Meanwhile, it sounds like Luka Doncic won't be ready as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain he sustained last month.

You need as much luck as talent to win an NBA championship. And while Williams' third hamstring strain in four months is pretty alarming, at least the schedule-makers bought them a couple of more days for him to be ready by Game 1.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: How Friday's 2026 NBA playoff results bought Jalen Williams more time