Chet Holmgren’s Triumphant Return Boosts Thunder’s Dominance
Feb 8, 2025, 12:54 AM ET
OKLAHOMA CITY — The buzz in Oklahoma City was palpable as Chet Holmgren made his much-anticipated return to the court. The NBA-best Thunder have been on a roll, and Holmgren’s comeback only adds to their formidable lineup.
After being sidelined for nearly three months due to a pelvic fracture, last season’s runner-up for rookie of the year was back in action on Friday night. Holmgren’s presence was felt immediately as he contributed four points, five rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in the Thunder’s 121-109 win over the Toronto Raptors.
“It’s amazing,” Holmgren expressed with enthusiasm. “I missed it for a long time, and I worked really hard to be able to get back out there. So I’m happy and excited and look forward to continue to try and help us win and keep improving.”
Holmgren played 22 minutes, and during his time on the floor, the Thunder outscored the Raptors by 22 points. This statistic alone speaks volumes about his impact on the game.
Selected as the second pick in the 2022 draft, Holmgren missed what would have been his rookie season due to a foot injury. However, he made a strong comeback in the 2023-24 season, playing all 82 games and averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds, which helped the Thunder secure the No. 1 seed in the West.
Before his recent injury, Holmgren was averaging 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 10 games this season. Expectations for his performance on Friday were tempered, but his presence was undeniably felt.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault commented on Holmgren’s return, saying, “It ties a bow on his return to play. His return to performance isn’t over. It takes a while for a guy that’s been out that long, especially a lower-body injury, to get himself back to game shape, endurance, rhythm, all those things. And so we’ll continue to work with him on probably a week-to-week basis. But it was a great start.”
Holmgren’s return was eagerly awaited, and his absence had not significantly hindered the Thunder’s performance, thanks to MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the team. The Thunder’s victory over Toronto improved their record to 41-9, solidifying their position at the top of the West standings.
The excitement in the arena was palpable as Holmgren was cheered during pregame warmups, and the crowd erupted when he was introduced as the first Thunder player.
Holmgren’s first basket was a smooth floater from 4 feet, just over two minutes into the game. He followed this with a play that showcased his versatility, driving to the paint, spinning, and finding center Isaiah Hartenstein, who completed the play with a floater.
His second and final field goal of the night came in the first quarter, displaying the footwork fans have come to admire. With his back to the basket, he jab-stepped right, spun left, and hit a fadeaway from just inside the free throw line.
In the fourth quarter, Holmgren made a statement with a block on a dunk attempt by Scottie Barnes, a play that highlighted his defensive prowess.
According to Second Spectrum, Holmgren held the Raptors to 1-of-8 shooting (12.5%) in the paint as the contesting defender. This marks his second-lowest field goal percentage allowed in the paint in a game in his career. He is now holding opponents to 38.6% shooting in the paint as the contesting defender this season, the best in the NBA.
Holmgren and fellow big man Hartenstein played together for the first time this season. Hartenstein, a free agent pickup this past summer, had missed the early part of the season due to a broken left hand.
Despite taking only five shots, Holmgren knew his role was not solely about scoring. “It’s not going to be the Chet Holmgren show,” he stated. “This is the Thunder. Whether I had an injury or not, that’s what it is. I’m just trying to go out there and help the team win in any way I can. I’m not expecting to become like a sideshow apart from what our goal is going out there every single night, and that’s to win basketball games.”
Coach Daigneault acknowledged the challenges of integrating such a talented player into an already successful team. He praised Holmgren for being a good teammate and making the transition smoother.
“We’re not asking for it to be perfect,” Daigneault said. “It’s one of those things that, if it requires one step backwards to take two steps forward, we’re willing to do that because we think it’s got a really high ceiling.”
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
