TITLE: Holmgren Shakes Off Thumb Dislocation, Leads Thunder to Third Straight Win
SLUG: holmgren-thumb-dislocation-sga-wallace-mitchell-update
CONTENT:
Chet Holmgren shrugged off a dislocated thumb to power the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, capping a frenetic opening week for the defending NBA champions.
The 23-year-old center, initially listed as questionable with lower-back soreness, erupted for 14 first-quarter points before injuring his right thumb on a blocked-shot attempt in the second period. Holmgren wanted to reset the thumb himself and keep playing, but team staff sent him for X-rays. Once cleared, he returned to finish with 31 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and a block in just 27 minutes.
“He’s always ready to go,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “Great competitor.”
Reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes, then watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench as Oklahoma City secured its third consecutive victory. Gilgeous-Alexander had logged 93 total minutes across back-to-back double-overtime games against Houston and Indiana earlier in the week.
“It’s the gauntlet of the NBA season,” the star guard noted. “You never know what to expect, but we’ve had some pop these first three games.”
Wallace Stifles Trae Young
Rookie guard Cason Wallace, facing his older brother Keaton for the first time in the pros, drew praise for limiting Hawks All-Star Trae Young to 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting. “He seems to be a dude who, when he’s near the ball, he comes up with it,” Daigneault said.
Mitchell’s Career Night
Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell is averaging 18.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal while shooting .467 from the field and .417 from three through three games. Mitchell poured in a career-high 26 points in Thursday’s win, a performance he dedicated to his late grandmother on what would have been her birthday.
Source: HoopsRumors
