Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren had to be helped off the court after a hard fall on the court against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. The team later announced that he suffered a right iliac wing fracture and that a return-to-play protocol will be in place in eight to 10 weeks.
Holmgren, not yet halfway through the first quarter of their 127-116 loss to the Warriors at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, moved up to contest an Andrew Wiggins layup on the baseline. After making contact with Wiggins, Holmgren landed hard directly on his right hip under the basket.
Wiggins made the layup and made no mistake, but Holmgren remained under the hoop in pain for quite some time before he was eventually helped back to the locker room. Holmgren struggled to put any weight on his right leg as he left the field.
Concerns here in OKc: Chet Holmgren shot out of the way while defending an Andrew Wiggins layup in the first quarter. I just needed help getting to the locker room. I didn’t put any weight on the right leg. It seemed like he was grabbing the hip/oblique area when he was on the ground. pic.twitter.com/ZGF3mCwqmG
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 11, 2024
Holmgren, who the Thunder selected with the No. 2 overall pick out of Gonzaga in 2022, missed his entire first season in the league with a foot injury suffered in a pro-am game. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season, his first real year in the league, while helping Oklahoma City to its first playoff appearance since 2020.
Holmgren entered Sunday’s game having averaged 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in nine games this season. He had no points and four rebounds on Sunday when he was injured and will now miss a large part of the season again.
“I can’t say if it makes me feel better or worse because I’ve experienced something similar before,” Holmgren wrote on Twitter early Monday morning. “On the one hand, I know how to handle it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand, I have felt the frustration of this process, and the wear and tear it brings. Most of all, I’m hurt. I can’t help my teammates and not play in front of our fans and supporters for a while.”
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 36 points and seven assists in the win while draining seven 3-pointers. The loss moved Oklahoma City into first place in the Western Conference with Phoenix and Golden State.
Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder’s $87 million free-agent acquisition, has not played yet after suffering a broken hand in the preseason. He could return later this month and will play a big role until Holmgren heals.
“Everyone sticking with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a huge part of my passion to return,” Holmgren continued on Twitter. “Don’t pity me or feel bad, there are a lot of people with real problems that aren’t healing. Anyway, excuse my rambling, I just wanted to speak to our OKC fans and family. Thoughts from the hospital bed.”
