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The Oklahoma City Thunder got a massive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury update after nearing the 65-game rule limit for the NBA MVP award.
After one of the best starts to a season in NBA history, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s performance has dropped a bit, but it’s been due in large part to major injury concerns to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and other top contributors. However, the latest injury update on Gilgeous-Alexander, after missing more than three weeks, signals good news for the Thunder.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been officially taken off Oklahoma City’s injury report. The superstar was dealing with an abdominal injury that sidelined him for a decent stretch, but he is now set to return against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to return after missing the last nine games due to an abdominal strain,” Tim McMahon of ESPN wrote in a post on X. “He is not on OKC’s injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Nuggets.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to return after missing the last nine games due to an abdominal strain. He is not on OKC’s injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Nuggets.
While there were concerns that Gilgeous-Alexander would miss an extended period and subsequently be out of the MVP race for this season, he remains the favorite to win the award, and his return will likely only further his case to repeat as the league’s most valuable player.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Injury Update
Gilgeous-Alexander was putting up another top-tier season before going out in early February with the abdominal injury, averaging 31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on 55.4% shooting.
The guard was originally set to miss a few weeks with the issue, as he sat out through the All-Star Break. Updates on Gilgeous-Alexander have been minimal, but it was reported last Friday that he would miss another week, with the game against the Nuggets the earliest he could return.
But now, the MVP has been taken off the Thunder’s injury report and is set for a return on Friday.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed a total of nine games for Oklahoma City, and after already sidelined two games earlier in the season, can only miss six more games to still be in consideration for the MVP award this year, based on the NBA’s 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards.
As he was out for nearly a month with the abdominal injury, Gilgeous-Alexander’s return against Denver on a minutes restriction wouldn’t be too surprising. He was previously averaging 33.3 minutes in 49 games before going out, so him playing roughly 20-25 minutes in his first game back is likely.
Still, despite missing time, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the odds-on favorite for the MVP award, as his upcoming foe, Nikola Jokic, as well as a few others in contention for the award, have also been sidelined for stretches this season.
Thunder Injury Report
While Gilgeous-Alexander is the most notable Thunder player to miss time, he is by no means the only player who has dealt with a significant injury this season.
Williams (J-Dub), has missed major time this year with a few different injuries. He sat out the first five weeks after undergoing offseason surgery for a wrist injury he played with during the team’s championship run last year. Now, he is dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out for a few weeks.
The latest Williams injury update signals he’ll still miss at least another week, and he has only played in 25 games so far this season.
In the lead-up to Oklahoma City’s game against the Nuggets, they have several other players listed on the injury report. According to Clemente Almanza of USA Today, Ajay Mitchell, Branden Carlson, and Thomas Sorber will also miss the contest.
Thunder injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Nuggets:
Jalen Williams (hamstring strain) is out
Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain, ankle sprain) is out
Branden Carlson (back strain) is out
Thomas Sorber (torn ACL) is out
Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Isaiah Joe all either sat out or suffered injuries in the team’s last game against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, but each still has an uncertain status for the contest against Denver.
But the best news for the Thunder is that the MVP is set to return. Gilgeous-Alexander remains one of the most impactful players in the NBA, and while after missing a few weeks it might take a couple of games return to his regular form, Oklahoma City will likely make a push to hold onto the top seed in the West, which is currently being challenged by the San Antonio Spurs.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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