Chet Holmgren Ruled Out Against Suns With Knee Injury

Chet Holmgren is officially out for Monday night's game against the Phoenix Suns with a knee issue, proving once again that the NBA schedule remains undefeated against seven-footers. Underdog NBA reported the downgrade, meaning the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to protect the rim without their human stop sign.

The timing is brutal for anyone holding Thunder tickets or betting slips. Oklahoma City is off to a flawless 3-0 start both straight up and against the spread, but pulling a guy who averages three blocks a game out of the lineup completely changes the math for tonight's matchup.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Chet Holmgren (knee) listed out Monday.'"

Holmgren has been the defensive anchor for an OKC squad that currently boasts the second-best defensive rating in the league. Through three games this season, he is putting up 12 points and 9.3 rebounds in 30 minutes a night. He just helped the Thunder grind out a 108-101 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday, which makes this knee flare-up look like a classic second-night-of-a-back-to-back casualty.

For Thunder fans, any lower-body injury update next to Holmgren's name triggers an immediate stress response. He missed his entire rookie campaign with a foot injury and has dealt with a laundry list of back and hip ailments over the last few years. A knee designation is new, but the extreme caution from the medical staff is a familiar routine.

Oklahoma City has the depth to survive a random Monday night in October, but the long-term stakes are much higher. The Thunder head to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Wednesday, and we will find out soon enough if this is just early-season load management disguised as a knee tweak or something that will actually test their frontcourt rotation.