What happened to Chet Holmgren? Latest injury update on OKC Thunder star as he misses game against Clippers (Mar. 23)

The OKC Thunder faced the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome on Sunday without their second-best player, Chet Holmgren. The 7-foot-1 center was sidelined due to a hip strain and was downgraded to out ahead of tip-off after initially being listed as questionable on the team's injury report.

Holmgren last played on March 21 against the Charlotte Hornets, where he logged 28 minutes, scoring 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. He also contributed five rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks.

In Chet Holmgren's absence, the Thunder started with a lineup comprising Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Both teams entered Sunday’s game on five-game win streaks, with OKC boasting the best record in the league and the Clippers ranked seventh in the Western Conference.

Chet Holmgren on why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves MVP

Chet Holmgren recently opened up about why his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves to win the MVP award this season. Holmgren highlighted the superstar point guard's unselfishness, noting that despite his immense scoring ability, he consistently prioritizes his teammates and plays the game with selflessness.

"What everyone sees is the highlight plays after games and the insane stats," Holmgren told ClutchPoints. "Beyond all that, the most important thing that Shai has done is continuing to trust, especially in situations where guys throw two or three guys to try and stop him.

"I mean, I’ve personally watched him score on all five guys on the other team. He never has to pass the ball, that’s how good he is, but he understands how to make other people around him better. He just makes the team better."

In Holmgren's absence, Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to victory over the red-hot LA Clippers on Sunday. The Canadian superstar scored 26 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out eight assists, recorded two steals and one block to extend OKC's win streak to six games.