For much of Game 1, Chet Holmgren was almost invisible on the court. Considering that the Thunder’s star stands at 7 feet 1 and plays a central role in OKC’s offense, that should have been impossible. Yet Holmgren finished the game with a post-season low of six points in over 23 minutes. Missing his only three-point attempt, he also only managed just 28 touches offensively, a sharp drop from his 40 and 47 touches he logged in Games 5 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves.
Holmgren had entered the NBA Finals week with an average of 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. As the third leading scorer of the franchise behind SGA and All-Star Jalen Williams, it is essential for OKC that Holmgren quickly finds his footing in the Finals as well. And as the team heads towards Game 2, it may quickly become a case of now or never.
“I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim,” Holmgren said. After missing the entire season in his first year, the No.2 pick from 2022 needs to be on form as the Thunder get ready for another game at home. Well, fortunately the injury report says that Chet Holmgren is fit to return to the court for Game 2, according to ESPN. And when that happens, the Pacers may have another serious problem on their hands, as even Carlisle stated, “Chet is going to be more aggressive.”
Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
And it is not just the Pacers coach who believes Holmgren will mount a comeback. Mark Daigneault, the OKC coach, also feels Chet’s Game 1 performance was just a bad day. He remains confident in Holmgren’s ability to prove his mettle, and said, “He’s the last guy I’m worried about.”
Well, with their entire roster showing a clean bill of health, the OKC locker room will be looking to make this series even. Let us now see why Game 1 ended with a 110-111 loss for OKC.
What went wrong in Game 1 for OKC?
While there’s no doubt that Holmgren had a difficult time, it was a result of Mark Daigneault changing their usual starting lineup that added to their woes. Taking Isaiah Hartenstein out and replacing him with Cason Wallace broke up the Holmgren-Hartenstein tandem. The two have shared the floor for an average of 12.6 minutes per game throughout the first three rounds, but didn’t log a single minute together in Game 1. So, the OKC coach must now realize that there is no need to fix something that ain’t broken.
However, Holmgren remains confident in his coach’s vision, as he said, “Our responsibility is to execute, no matter what the coaches ask of us.” Daigneault has not confirmed whether or not the lineup will match Game 1. Likewise, the other facet to OKC’s loss was Jalen Williams. The No.12 pick needs to do more than just the 17 points he returned in game 1 from.
While his HC refused to single anyone out, he said, “I don’t think anyone played their best game.” With two of their key players having an underwhelming performance, Game 2 also presents an opportunity for redemption.
Still, the Thunder momentarily had a 15-point lead, and yet allowed Pacers to return, who only led the game for 0.3 seconds. Yet, it proved to be the most crucial .3 seconds of the game.
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