news

OKC Thunderstar breaks pelvic bone

Vaseline November 11, 2024

(This article has been updated with new information.)

With one fateful crash, Chet Holmgren’s promising young season was turned upside down.

The Thunder big man suffered a right iliac wing fracture in a 127-116 loss to the Warriorsthe team announced early Monday morning. He is expected to return this season and a return-to-play protocol will be established in eight to 10 weeks.

About a few minutes into Sunday’s game, Holmgren fell on his hip after trying to vertically beat Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. The 22-year-old was left on the ground, eventually attacked by trainers, before being helped to the dressing room.

Holmgren, who refused to put weight on his right leg, did not want to return to the match.

“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.”

Ahead of Sunday, the seven-foot center staked his claim as one of the Western Conference’s youngest All-Stars. Through nine games, he averaged 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, the second-best marks in the NBA.

In Year 2, Holmgren anchored the league’s No. 1 defense.

With Holmgren expected to miss games at least through January, the Thunder will be without a center for the next few weeks. Isaiah Hartenstein, who is sidelined with a fractured hand, is expected to return for OKC in late November.

“Everyone sticking with me and our team, along with my need to 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.”