Chet Holmgren injury update: Thunder big man exits after hard fall vs. Warriors
Through nine games, the Thunder have looked like the championship contender many thought they were.
Oklahoma City got off to an 8-1 start, losing only to Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets even while free-agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein remains sidelined with a fractured hand. Chat Holmgren is one major reason the engine has kept humming along for Mark Daigneault’s squad.
Holmgren has four 20-point games under his belt already this season, including a 29-point outburst against the Rockets on Friday. That made it especially concerning when the 22-year-old needed to be helped off the court early in Sunday’s game against the Warriors.
Here are the latest updates on Holmgren’s injury and his status going forward.
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Chet Holmgren injury update
Holmgren took a hard fall after contesting a layup by Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins and appeared to be in significant pain.
Chet Holmgren was injured and had to be helped off the court after contesting an Andrew Wiggins layup pic.twitter.com/uC8qms9MQI
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 11, 2024
Holmgren required help to get off the court and into the locker room, struggling to put any weight on his right leg. While Holmgren had a hard time putting weight on his leg, he motioned to the area around his hip while on the ground.
Concern here in OKc: Chet Holmgren took a shot to the side while defending an Andrew Wiggins first quarter layup. Just needed help getting to the locker room. Wasn’t putting weight on right leg. Appeared to be grabbing hip/oblique area when he was on the ground. pic.twitter.com/ZGF3mCwqmG
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 11, 2024
The Thunder didn’t offer an update before the two teams came back out for the second half, leaving Holmgren’s status up in the air. He was since ruled “out” for the rest of the game with a hip injury. Isaiah Joe started the second half in place of Holmgren, giving the Thunder a much smaller lineup.
Oklahoma City faces the Clippers in another major Western Conference tilt on Monday, so Holmgren figures to be a long-shot for the second game of the back-to-back even if he gets a clean bill of health. The Thunder are hoping it’s not a long-term issue for Holmgren, but even a short-term absence would leave the team thin in the frontcourt with Hartenstein also still out.