The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Monday that forward/center Chet Holmgren will be out for at least eight weeks due to a pelvic fracture.
Holmgren suffered the injury during the first quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors when he fractured his right iliac wing. The team expects him to return this season, and they plan to provide an update in about eight to ten weeks.
This is a significant blow for the Thunder, who had started the season with seven straight wins and are currently tied for the top spot in the Western Conference with an 8-2 record. Holmgren, who finished second in the Rookie of the Year race last season, has been one of the most efficient players in the league this year, averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.
Holmgren got injured when he challenged a layup by Andrew Wiggins, collided with him, and fell hard to the floor. He immediately reached for his right hip and stayed down for a while before being helped off the court. He didn’t put weight on his right leg but gave a thumbs up as he hobbled off.
At the time, the Thunder were leading 16-12, but they eventually fell behind by 30 points late in the third quarter. Despite a strong push in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City lost the game 127-116.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it was tough to refocus after Holmgren’s injury.
“It’s hard,” he said. “Hopefully, he’s OK. It’s part of the game, but it sucks.”
Before the injury, Oklahoma City had been leading the league in defensive rating, but they struggled in the second and third quarters without Holmgren, their key defensive player in the paint. At 7-foot-1, Holmgren is one of the top shot blockers in the league and is also quick enough to defend guards when needed.
“It changed a lot for us defensively, for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You guys can probably tell, he does so much on that end of the floor. He cleans up so many things, deters so many things around the rim when he’s not blocking them (shots).”
Despite the setback, the Thunder played well in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to six points in the final minutes.
Gilgeous-Alexander said the team learned a lesson from the game.
“Especially against good teams, you can’t go down that big,” he said. “It’s almost impossible to come back. You’ve got to be better on both ends of the ball for longer periods of time.”
With Holmgren out, the Thunder are now thinner in the frontcourt. He had recently moved from forward to center due to the absence of newly-acquired big man Isaiah Hartenstein, who is out with a fractured left hand. The Thunder are also missing forward/center Jaylin Williams (right hamstring) and guard/forward Kenrich Williams (right knee).