By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors 121-109 on Friday night in Chet Holmgren’s return from injury.
Holmgren, the runner-up for rookie of the year last season, played for the first time in three months after recovering from a pelvic fracture. The 7-foot-1 forward had four points, five rebounds, and four blocks in 22 minutes.
“It’s amazing,” Holmgren said. “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 was the second pick in the 2022 draft and missed what would have been his rookie season with a foot injury. He played all 82 games in 2023-24, averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds to help the Thunder earn the No. 1 seed in the West.
“His return to performance isn’t over,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “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 could afford to ease his way in because his absence did little to slow MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, who sit comfortably atop the Western Conference standings. They improved to 41-9 with the win over Toronto.
Still, there was high anticipation for his return. Holmgren was cheered during pregame warmups, and the crowd was even louder when he became the first Thunder player introduced.
Holmgren only took five shots because he knew he didn’t need to score to affect the game.
“It’s not going to be the Chet Holmgren show,” he said. “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.”
Daigneault said inserting such a talented player into a group that’s having success can present challenges. He commended Holmgren for being a good teammate and making it easier.
“We’re not asking for it to be perfect,” he 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.”
Aaron Wiggins added 18 points for the NBA-best Thunder (41-9), who won their fourth straight.
Scottie Barnes scored 21 points and Gradey Dick added 17 for the Raptors, who lost their third in a row.
Toronto was short-handed. Scoring leader RJ Barrett was in the concussion protocol. Brandon Ingram, acquired from New Orleans before the trade deadline, was with the team but didn’t play.
The Thunder led 58-47 at halftime and maintained control in the third quarter. Midway through the period, Williams was fouled as he drove for a tough layup in traffic. The ball rolled in, and he flexed his arms and shoulders for the crowd. He made the free throw to give the Thunder a 79-64 lead.
Takeaways
Raptors: The Raptors made 20 of 50 shots inside the 3-point line as the Thunder’s front line of Holmgren and the 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein created problems.
Thunder: Oklahoma City didn’t miss a beat with Holmgren back. The Thunder made 51.2% of their shots and had 26 assists to 12 turnovers.
Key Moment
Holmgren scored his first basket on a layup with 9:43 left in the first quarter.
Key Stat
Gilgeous-Alexander made all 14 of his free-throw attempts.
Up Next
The Thunder visit Memphis on Saturday.
