The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Sunday tied with the Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference, and figured to face a stiff test with the red-hot Golden State Warriors in town. OKC got off to a strong start, taking a 33-26 lead after the first quarter, but there was some considerable concern about their star big man as Chet Holmgren had to be helped off the floor and into the locker room after landing hard on his right hip after contesting an Andrew Wiggins layup attempt at the rim (watch here).
Holmgren slams down onto the hardwood and immediately grabbed at his right hip in pain. He was ultimately helped off the floor and into the tunnel without putting any weight on his right leg by a pair of Thunder staffers. Holmgren has gotten off to a tremendous start to his sophomore campaign, averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game coming into Sunday’s contest, asserting himself as a serious threat for DPOY with his work protecting the rim for the league’s best defense so far.
The Thunder will hope Holmgren’s injury was just a painful fall and not something more serious that could lead to an extended absence, as they are already incredibly thin at the center position with Isaiah Hartenstein still out with a fractured hand.
UPDATE: Holmgren was ruled out for the game with what the Thunder officially called a right hip injury.