OKLAHOMA CITY — The first time the Oklahoma City Thunder touched the ball on Friday night, a sound bite familiar to any mid-2000s hip-hop fan blared through the Paycom Center’s speakers.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself” — the opening lines from Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement.”
That needle drop always hits, but it was especially resonant on Friday. After missing 39 games, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was back after recovering from a fractured pelvis. For the first time this year, Holmgren and free-agent signing Isaiah Hartenstein were available in the same game, giving the already-dominant Thunder defense an impenetrable back line.
No entry ❌ pic.twitter.com/zvNjqVsDNC
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2025
If Luguentz Dort didn’t develop back spasms before the game, the Thunder would have been as close to fully operational as they’ve been all year. The Thunder didn’t need Holmgren against the undermanned Toronto Raptors, coasting to a 121-109 win. Yet, the glimpses of what Holmgren’s return could mean were evident. Despite all the histrionics of the trade deadline, the Thunder are still the favorites in the Western Conference.
Holmgren had 4 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes, which the Thunder won by 22 points. Tantalizingly, he added four blocks, each one more emphatic than the last.
“They don’t even have like real chemistry yet, and it already looks pretty good,” Thunder wing Jalen Williams said of Holmgren and Hartenstein playing together. “It allows us out there (on the perimeter) to be more aggressive. We can pick up higher knowing that they know how to cover for us.”
“We’re at square zero with that,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault added.
That should scare every championship contender, regardless of conference. The Thunder more than survived without the former second-overall pick, going 32-7. With him, their defensive ceiling is the sky.
“It’s not going to be the Chet Holmgren show,” Holmgren said. “This is the Thunder.”
And they’re darned formidable.
Holmgren was a little rusty in his first game in three months. Scottie Barnes blocked his rim attack early on, later losing the ball in transition. Still, he shot over shorter defenders effortlessly, giving the Thunder another offensive option in the half court.
Chet spins & it’s in 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/28TMjFdjI9
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2025
The other end was more revealing. The Raptors had a transition opportunity in the first quarter, and it just vanished as Holmgren got back to protect the paint. The Raptors tried a series of passes to maneuver around the pair and were unsuccessful. Gradey Dick ultimately short-armed a meek layup attempt.
In the fourth, Holmgren argued for a foul call after a miss, blocked Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter on the other end and then picked up a technical for clapping in official Matt Kallio’s face.
To effectively end his night, Holmgren turned away a thunderous one-handed dunk attempt by Barnes, getting revenge for earlier.
WELCOME BACK CHET, WHAT A STUFF 🚫 pic.twitter.com/J6u4YwDZnv
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 8, 2025
The Thunder entered the night with the league’s best defensive rating — 4.4 points per 100 possessions, clear of the league’s second-best defense — and that was with just a splash of Holmgren. That gap is bigger than the one between the second-ranked Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks, in 11th. With Holmgren back, that gap could grow to become a canyon.
Holmgren makes that possible, and he’s aware that given the severity and unusualness of his injury, this wasn’t guaranteed. Holmgren suffered the injury when he landed hard on the floor following a block attempt on Andrew Wiggins.
“A couple inches lower, it could have affected the joint,” Holmgren said. “If the bones had shifted, I could have needed surgery. Super unlucky, but lucky at the same time.”
He rejoins the Thunder at an interesting time. The deadline, in some ways, deeply unsettled the Western Conference over the last week. The Los Angeles Lakers got Luka Dončić. Anthony Davis went to the Dallas Mavericks. De’Aaron Fox went from Sacramento to San Antonio, while two former All-Stars — Zach LaVine and Jimmy Butler — hopped to the Pacific Time Zone.
Strangely enough, none of the big moves came from the top four teams in the conference. The Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets all made moves more concerned with finances or long-term interests rather than a title chase if they made moves at all. The big business happened lower down the standings.
Dončić could very well lead the Lakers on a deep playoff run, with LeBron James serving as his wingman. Perhaps Davis will turn the Mavericks into a defensive beast. However, the strong likelihood is that Holmgren’s return, and the full actualization of the conference’s best team, will be the most consequential storyline to follow in the short term.
“We appreciate (Holmgren). He was here last year. We know what he’s capable of from last year,” Daigneault said. “And then his first stint this season — he clearly made a jump over the summer. We know what we’re getting.”
The rest of the league may not be as prepared.
(Photo of Chet Holmgren moving the ball against the Raptors: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
