Thunder has been on fire all season. With only six losses so far, they sit comfortably on top of the West standings. Just last night, they got a dominant win against the Cavs, who have been doing similar damage in the East. And as OKC’s incredible run continues, they might become even more unstoppable in some time because their superstar Chet Holmgren is nearing his return from injury.

As per Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi, Chet is continuing to progress in his return-to-play protocol and will be re-evaluated in three to five weeks. Well, he has not played in an NBA game since November 10. The reason? A right iliac wing fracture from landing awkwardly after a midair collision with Andrew Wigging during the Warriors game. However, the news of his recovery is a great boost for OKC and a nightmare for the remaining 14 Western Conference teams.

As per the reported timeline, Holmgren could return soon after the All-Star Weekend, which will put his team in an amazing spot heading into the playoffs. Obviously, the seven-footer’s availability will be a massive advantage for the Thunder because he was in incredible form before the injury, averaging 16.4 points and nearly nine rebounds.

However, until Chet Holmgren is fully healthy, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. need to hold on to their top seed. And that might be a challenging task, especially because their other big man, Isaiah Hartenstein, is also out with injury. Yes, he suffered a left soleus strain during Tuesday’s Sixers clash and will be re-evaluated next week. Surprisingly, OKC is doing a great job despite their two giants’ absence.

OKC Thunder star and head coach look back on Redemption win against Cavs

It was earlier this month that OKC suffered a heartbreaking loss against the Cleveland franchise. So, last night’s clash was not only about reasserting their dominance but also about getting redemption. Well, they did exactly that despite Chet and Hartenstein’s unavailability, as they won by twenty points. Of course, Jaylin Williams and Branden Carlson filled the big-man spot amid other stars’ injuries.

Sure enough, head coach Mark Daigneault was happy with his team’s performance: “We were stacking stops; we were turning them over. Great activity, and I thought we just handled the point of attack tonight way better.”

Even Jalen Williams was proud of the way his team responded, “We just tried to make them as uncomfortable as possible, playing defense… I thought we did a good job of just coming together as a team defensively, not having as many of those defensive lapses, and making them really have to work for possessions.”

Well, Thunder is already a great team as they proved last night and Chet Holmgren’s return could make them instant championship contenders. Do you think they can win it all this year?