Chet

Holmgren

For the first time since Game 3 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series against the Grizzlies, Holmgren surpassed the 20-point mark. While the rebounds were limited and he did not record any defensive stats, the 7-foot-1 forward gave Oklahoma City excellent minutes on Thursday. Thus far, Holmgren has outplayed Minnesota forward Julius Randle, which is one reason Oklahoma City heads to Minnesota with a two-game-to-none lead. Game 3 is on Saturday night.

Holmgren hit double digits in rebounds in five games this series, recording four double-doubles. While he missed all three of his three-point attempts in Game 7, the second-year forward/center filled the stat sheet otherwise. Holmgren will face a far different defensive challenge in the Western Conference Finals, as Minnesota’s Julius Randle is a more skilled offensive talent than Denver’s Aaron Gordon. Game 1 of the series is on Tuesday night.

Holmgren finished with a double-double for the third time this series, but it wasn’t enough for the Thunder to get the win and advance to the conference finals. The box score numbers were mostly strong, though he did shoot just 1-of-3 from the free throw line for a second straight game. They’ll get a couple days off before Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Holmgren will need to continue to play well, but his main job will be trying to slow down Nikola Jokic.

Holmgren was just 1-of-6 from three on Friday, but he recorded a double-double and finished one assist shy of a complete stat line. The slender Holmgren has recorded double-doubles in consecutive games for the second time this postseason, with the first being Games 1 and 2 of the first round. Interestingly, Oklahoma City went small to begin overtime, with Holmgren replaced by Luguentz Dort. Denver would score the first five points before Holmgren returned, subbing in for Alex Caruso, but the damage was already done. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon, with Denver holding a 2-1 lead.

After struggling in Game 1, Holmgren bounced back and recorded the fourth postseason triple-double of his career, with three of those coming this season. Aside from Game 3 against Memphis, Holmgren has swatted at least two shots in every game during these playoffs, which was a trend that continued in this game despite him only playing 26 minutes. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (14/8/5/1/1) will look to continue to limit Nikola Jokic (17 points) in Game 3 on Friday.

Hartenstein was solid as a scorer and rebounder, but Monday’s game was another instance in which the Thunder decided to go small in crunch time. Hartenstein was an observer from the bench, while Oklahoma City decided to use Chet Holmgren (12/6/2/1/4) as the center with Alex Caruso entering the lineup. Holmgren had a chance to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to three with 9.5 seconds remaining, but his two misses were followed by Aaron Gordon’s game-winning three. Hartenstein’s playing time will be fine, but the way he’s used in this series will be worth watching, especially when Nikola Jokic is as dominant as he was in Game 1. The Thunder host Game 2 on Wednesday.

After failing to record a steal or blocked shot in Oklahoma City’s Game 3 victory, Holmgren was highly impactful as a defender in Game 4. The blocks tally was one shy of his series-high, while the six “stocks” were the most he recorded in a game this series. Whether it’s Denver or the LA Clippers in the second round, Holmgren and the Thunder will be challenged more than they were in the first round. Finishing off the sweep gets Oklahoma City additional rest time, which is another benefit for Holmgren and company.

While Memphis losing Ja Morant to a hip injury during the second quarter certainly factored into the home team blowing a 29-point lead, so did Holmgren waking up from his first-half slumber. Having scored one point on 0-of-4 shooting, things could not get much worse for the Thunder forward/center. He was outstanding during the second half, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and scoring 23 points. The comeback is the largest in a playoff game since 1997, and Oklahoma City takes a commanding 3-0 lead into Saturday’s Game 4.

After only needing to play 21 minutes to record a double-double in Sunday’s 51-point victory, Holmgren was forced to work a little harder in Game 2. That said, his rim protection has been elite, with the second-year forward/center up to seven blocked shots through two games. Add in the rebounding, and Holmgren has been one of the riddles that Memphis has been unable to solve thus far. The series shifts to Memphis for Game 3, which will be played on Thursday night.

Holmgren excelled as a rim protector and stretched the floor by only missing one of his attempts from deep. The Thunder big man’s return to health after an early injury has helped OKC ascend to another level. Holmgren’s pairing with Isaiah Hartenstein in the frontcourt and OKC’s assortment of capable wing defenders seem likely to give Memphis a tough time for the remainder of the series.