The Oklahoma City Thunder, already without center Isaiah Hartenstein at center due to a hand injury, have now lost their other star center for at least two months and likely longer than that.
Chet Holmgren suffered a fractured right iliac hip, the team announced Sunday evening. The iliac bones are the large, flat bones often called hip bones, the kind that look like butterfly wings when you look at a skeleton. “A return-to-play protocol will be made available in 8 to 10 weeks,” the team statement said, suggesting Holmgren could be out beyond the All-Star break.
Holmgren sounded resigned to a familiar but lengthy rehabilitation process in this social media post later Sunday night.
I can’t say if I feel better or worse for having been through something like this before. On the one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I felt the frustration of this process, and the…
– Chet Holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) November 11, 2024
The injury occurred midway through the first quarter when Holmgren and Andrew Wiggins collided as the Warriors wing drove to the rim and Holmgren came up to contest his shot. Holmgren fell and landed awkwardly.
Holmgren is critical to what the Thunder do on both ends of the court, especially as a defensive rim protector. He is averaging 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds this season, shooting 40% from 3 – allowing the Thunder to play a five-out style – while blocking 2.9 shots per game. Oklahoma City has outscored opponents by 16.5 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court.
How much Holmgren means to the Thunder was evident Sunday night as the team struggled in his absence and fell to the Golden State Warriors 127-116. That might have happened anyway, with Stephen Curry scoring 36 points, but the injury changed the defensive dynamic of the contest (and cast a shadow over the mood on the night). The Thunder tried to adjust on the fly and play small, something they’ll likely get better at over time.
For now, the Thunder — one of the deeper teams in the league — must find ways to keep winning and stay in touch with the Warriors and Suns at the top of the Western Conference.
