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.