Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren exited Sunday’s 127-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors after suffering a right iliac wing fracture to his pelvis, the team later announced. The Thunder said an update on Holmgren’s status will be provided in eight to 10 weeks.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren suffered a right iliac wing fracture after a midair collision with Andrew Wiggins
Holmgren, 22, took a hard fall while challenging Andrew Wiggins’ drive midway through the first quarter. After a midair collision, Holmgren fell on his right side. The 7-footer remained on the floor in apparent pain for a moment before needing help off the court and into the locker room.
According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Holmgren didn’t put any weight on his right leg when he left with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter. He exited with four rebounds in less than five minutes of action.
Through his first nine games this season, he is averaging career highs of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks along with 2.2 assists and 28.9 minutes per contest. His 26 blocks are second most in the NBA, trailing only Victor Wembanyama.
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Holmgren, who the Thunder selected No. 2 overall in the 2022 draft, is a big loss for Oklahoma City. In addition to the Minneapolis native leading the Thunder in total rebounds, he’s also currently leading the NBA this season in defensive win shares (0.9) and defensive rating (92.7).
When Holmgren left the lineup in Sunday’s game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault gave reserve guards Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell extended playing time against the Warriors.
Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in the CrawsOver Pro-Am event in 2022
However, Oklahoma City struggled to protect the rim and obtain second-chance scoring opportunities with Chet Holmgren out. Wallace scored 16 points in 30 minutes off the bench and Mitchell added 12 points in 21 minutes.
Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein has also been sidelined to start the season. Hartenstein is out with a small nondisplaced fracture in his left hand. Oklahoma City teammates were concerned about Holmgren’s injury before the update was announced.
“It’s hard [to see],” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Hopefully he’s OK.”
Jalen Williams said that if Holmgren were to miss an extended amount of time, the Thunder would be capable of overcoming his absence.
“It’s not the first time that we have done it,” Williams said. “So looking forward to the challenge on that.”
This is Holmgren’s second major injury. The Gonzaga product missed his first NBA season after he was drafted because of a Lisfranc injury.
Oklahoma City went 40-42 (.488) without Holmgren in the 2022-23 season. He played all 82 games last season.
The Thunder host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
