Chet Holmgren
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Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will probably be named NBA MVP on Tuesday. But he also is smart enough to realize he can’t win a championship all by himself.
Gilgeous-Alexander lauded fellow star Chet Holmgren’s defense and timely offense during the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 114-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
“He affects the game at such a high level,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s a special person and a special talent, and he’s the reason why we are where we are today.”
Holmgren had 15 points on 6 for 9 shooting and added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 26 minutes. It was his fourth straight double-digit-point effort, and Holmgren matched his most efficient performance of the playoffs by shooting 66.7 percent.
Though Holmgren’s numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page — he finished with the third-most points of any Thunder player — Gilgeous-Alexander appreciates what the 7-footer means when he is playing as he did Tuesday.
“Chet was great,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “When he’s his best version of himself, we’re the best version of ourselves as a unit.”
A Tough Situation
Holmgren and the Thunder went into the locker room for halftime in Game 1 trailing 48-44 against an opponent that was 4-1 on the road during the postseason.
But Holmgren scored nine fourth-quarter points, including a crucial 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, and also had a hand in limiting Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards to just five second-half points. The Thunder outscored the T-Wolves 70-40 in the second half.
“I think was just playing with more energy,” Holmgren said. “I was out there stinking it up in the first half, and the game’s not going to reward you for that. I feel like I turned up the intensity and played harder and exert that on the defensive end, but that opened some stuff up not only for myself but for my teammates on the offensive end.”
Injuries again affected Holmgren’s season, since he missed 50 games with a hip ailment that cost him games from November-February. His injury didn’t keep Oklahoma City from finishing with the NBA’s best regular-season record, but Gilgeous-Alexander appreciates how Holmgren has handled his return.
“I think it’s gone under the radar a little bit how hard it is to be a guy and then sit out for a couple of months and then have to integrate yourself into a team that has the best record in the NBA and not step in nobody’s toes but also still be yourself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s a super-hard position to be in. The way he’s handled that is special. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that.”
Others Chipping In Too
Though Gilgeous-Alexander credited Holmgren, he also gave flowers to some other teammates who may not get praised a lot.
Kenrich Williams, who played just 20 minutes in OKC’s second-round series against Denver, and Isaiah Joe, who scored only 24 points in seven games, combined for 15 points off the bench in Game 1.
“Those two guys were nothing short of who they’ve been all year,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re guys who play one night, not play the next night, play 30 minutes the night after that. They’re always ready, and they know what they bring to the team and they go out there and do it at a high level.”
Williams scored all eight of his points in the second half, and Joe made a pair of baskets in the first half when primary scorers, Gilgeous-Alexander (2 for 13) and Jalen Williams (2 for 8) were struggling to find their shooting accuracy.
“Our readiness as a group has been special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’re going to need it the further we go.”