Chet Holmgren – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Chet Holmgren nominated for February’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month

Chet Holmgren nominated for February’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was nominated for Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February. Victor Wembanyama came away with the award for a second time.

Holmgren won it in October/November and December. He was nominated in January. This season, he’s helped the Thunder to a 42-18 record and sole possession of first place in the Western Conference standings.

In 60 games, the 21-year-old has averaged 17.2 points on 54.4% shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks. He’s shot 39.7% from 3 on 4.3 attempts.

In 11 games in February, Holmgren averaged 19.3 points on 59.2% shooting, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 blocks. He shot 45.6% from 3 on 5.2 attempts. He also participated in the 2024 All-Star’s Rising Stars challenge.

The other nominees were Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson. Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller won the East’s award.

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Player grades: Thunder survive swings of runs in 118-110 win over Suns

Player grades for the Thunder’s 118-110 win over Suns.

Hitting a spin move on Grayson Allen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was called for a costly offensive foul as Allen covered his face in pain. The call warranted a review to see if it fit the criteria of a flagrant.

The replays ruled it didn’t as Allen’s nose was hit with the back of Gilgeous-Alexander’s head as he spun around. After it stayed a common foul, OKC challenged the call and won. A pair of reviews turned an offensive foul into an extra possession.

Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down a jumper after the lengthy process and extinguished any hopes of a comeback for the Phoenix Suns in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 118-110 win.

“We were able to get the start under control pretty quickly, obviously that was good,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “That was an avalanche in the third and fourth. They really got into a groove there…

“I thought we showed great resilience in the fourth to climb back into it when we went down after all that.”

The back-and-forth contest saw three lead changes and two ties in dramatic fashion. There were extreme swings catapulted by lengthy runs from both sides. During points in this game, the Thunder had a game-high 24-point lead and the Suns possessed a 13-point lead.

The first happened in the opening minutes. After trailing 17-4 following the first six minutes, the Thunder rattled off 10 consecutive points to get out of the early double-digit hole.

The Thunder — surprisingly enough — had a 28-24 lead after the first frame. The second quarter saw OKC carry over the momentum it built from the first period with a 38-point effort. After trailing by 13 points, the Thunder finished the first half on a 62-35 run to enter halftime with a 66-52 lead.

As the Thunder built a 24-point advantage, it felt like the Suns let go of the rope. The game was on its way to being meaningless for the remainder of the second half. Instead, Phoenix went on a 23-2 run to enter the fourth quarter with a manageable 89-85 deficit.

The Suns continued to stifle the Thunder and totaled a massive 39-8 second-half run to flip the score and command a six-point lead less than four minutes into the final frame.

Like the beginning of the game, the Thunder couldn’t buy a bucket for a massive stretch of the second half. After that though, OKC suddenly went on another massive run of its own to close out this road win with a 23-8 six-minute stretch.

It’s only fitting the final points scored were on Gilgeous-Alexander’s jumper following the overturned offensive foul. After that basket, OKC had a nine-point lead with less than three minutes left.

The Thunder shot 48% from the field and went 9-of-31 (29%) from 3. They had 16 steals and forced 22 turnovers, which led to 31 points — a massive advantage for OKC considering it outscored Phoenix by 22 points in that area.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a near 35-point triple-double. Jalen Williams had 22 points and three steals. All five Thunder starters scored double-digit points.

Meanwhile, the Suns — who were without Devin Booker due to an ankle sprain — shot 44% from the field and went 14-of-39 (35.9%) from 3. They dished out 26 assists on 40 baskets and outrebounded OKC, 50-41.

Despite losing the rebounding battle, Daigneault said that’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make to play their brand of basketball. It’s worked considering the Thunder have been one of the best teams in the league despite being one of the worst rebounding squads.

“The trade-offs that we gain with the way we play, the lineups we play, generally have outweighed that,” Daigneault said. “… A lot of nights we lose the rebounding battle. As long as the benefit continues to outweigh the cost, we’re going to continue to accept the trade-offs. We’re not going to be a perfect team.”

Bradley Beal led the way for the Suns with 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting, six assists and seven turnovers. Kevin Durant tallied 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and a career-high 31 rebounds — which is also a Suns record.

Overall, it was a wild contest that saw the pendulum swing in extreme ways. Both teams went on several massive runs throughout the contest and the Thunder served the final one and survived for the impressive road win.

“We want to be a team that competes fully during those and then grows from them regardless of what side we’re on,” Daigneault said. “Our teams always had great resilience though. I have great respect for our guys as competitors.

“I thought our resilience was on display tonight. I thought our poise was on display in the fourth, they did a great job.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Inside the NBA reacts to Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren duel

Inside the NBA reacted to the duel between San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City THunder star Chet Holmgren.

As the San Antonio Spurs’ season rolls on, any win they can get their hands on is a big one. And their recent victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder was a perfect example of this. They took down one of the best teams in the league at home after a long road trip, and Victor Wembanyama hyped up the crowd after the victory.

But the best part of the night was the duel between Wembanyama and fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Chet Holmgren. The two big men battled it out, and Wembanyama not only walked away with the win, but he even blocked one of Holmgren’s jump shots.

The Inside the NBA crew recently reacted to the matchup between the two rookies, giving their thoughts.

Only one person can take home the Rookie of the Year award, and both guys have solid cases, but Wembanyama’s win over Holmgren should certainly factor into the discussion.

PHOTOS: Best images from Thunder’s 132-118 loss to Spurs

The best photos from the Thunder’s 132-118 loss to the Spurs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered an upset in their 132-118 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The result simultaneously snapped OKC’s six-game winning streak and San Antonio’s five-game losing streak.

The Thunder couldn’t get defensive stops as the lowly Spurs shot 19-of-39 (48.7%) from 3 and had a season-high 39 assists.

Victor Wembayama took over and finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five shots. He also shot 5-of-7 from 3.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points. Chet Holmgren had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Jalen Williams scored 26 points.

Let’s look at some of the best photos from the Thunder’s 14-point loss to the Spurs.

Player grades: Wemby takes over in Thunder’s 132-118 loss to Spurs

Player grades for the Thunder’s 132-118 loss to the Spurs.

As the shot clock expired, Tre Jones let off a last-second 3-pointer that swished in with the buzzer sounding off. The next possession saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup attempt rim out. Victor Wembanyama then jogged back and drilled a deep 3-pointer.

The three-play sequence late in the fourth quarter encapsulated the type of night both teams endured.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s six-game winning streak was snapped in their 132-118 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, who snapped their five-game losing streak.

“I thought they were the aggressor in the game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the loss. “I thought they did a really good job from the jump of dictating the pace and physicality. Got themselves into a rhythm that was hard to turn off on the defensive end of the floor.”

Both teams started on fire, being tied at 37 points apiece following the first quarter. The Spurs added to their high-point total with a 32-point second frame. OKC entered halftime with a 69-64 deficit.

The Thunder only ate three points off the halftime deficit after a 32-point third quarter. Defense continued to be a problem for both squads as the Spurs entered the final frame with a 98-96 advantage.

To open the fourth quarter, Jalen Williams rattled off the first four points on a pair of baskets to give OKC its first lead since the first quarter. Following that, both teams exchanged punches in the back-and-forth affair.

The Thunder eventually carved out small three-point leads, but the Spurs kept answering on the other end. A 16-5 run — sparked by three 3-pointers — in the final four minutes helped San Antonio run away on the scoreboard for the double-digit result.

The Thunder shot 49% from the field but went an icy 9-of-31 (29%) from 3. A 21-of-22 night from free throws helped make up for that shortcoming. They dished out 20 assists on 40 baskets. OKC had four double-digit scorers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points on 22 shots. Chet Holmgren had 23 points and seven rebounds. Williams scored 26 points on 18 shots.

Outside of those three though, the rest of the Thunder struggled. Isaiah Joe had 15 points and the rest of the team combined for 23 points among the nine other players who played.

Despite the off night from 3, what cost the Thunder this game was on the other end. The Spurs — who have the fourth-worst offensive rating and worst 3-point percentage — had one of their best offensive outings of the season.

The Spurs shot 53% from the field and went a sizzling 19-of-39 (48.7%) from 3. They dished out a season-high 39 assists on 48 baskets. Six Spurs players scored double-digit points.

Wembanyama — the probable Rookie of the Year winner — finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks. He shot 5-of-7 from 3.

He is the first player in league history with 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and five 3-pointers in a game. The rookie phenom single-handily closed out the Spurs’ 12th win with a pair of deep 3-pointers and blocking Holmgren’s jumper.

Devin Vassell equaled Wembanyama with 28 points and nine assists. Jeremy Sochan scored an unorthodox 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Jones had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Overall, it was a tough loss for OKC — especially considering how tight the top-four standings are in the Western Conference. The upset stings even more considering how heavily favored the Thunder were.

The Thunder never looked sharp on defense and the Spurs failed to cool off from outside. OKC will have a couple of days off to marinate this loss before continuing its stretch run of the season.

“Credit them, I thought we tried to turn it on defensively but they were really, really sharp tonight,” Daigneault said. “They were the better team.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama remains No. 1 post-All-Star break

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The NBA enters the last two months of the regular-season schedule with teams positioning themselves for the playoffs entering .

The rookie class continues to impress nightly with players contributing at a high level on playoff contenders and other teams in the hunt. The group has been one of the most memorable in recent memory, headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

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They have established themselves as the top rookies and are the front-runners for Rookie of the Year as a result. The two 7-footers have dazzled seemingly every time they step onto the court and have had some strong performances.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. excels, but Chet Holmgren rallies Thunder past Rockets

In a battle of top 2022 draft picks, Jabari Smith Jr. had another 20-15 game, but Chet Holmgren scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and rallied the Thunder to a win.

HOUSTON — In a frontcourt duel between top picks from the 2022 NBA draft, Chet Holmgren of the Thunder and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets put on quite a show Sunday at Toyota Center. But thanks in large part to Holmgren’s fourth-quarter flurry, Oklahoma City (40-17) maintained its position at the top of the Western Conference and rallied to a 123-110 road victory (box score).

Holmgren finished with 29 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, shooting 11-of-16 from the field (68.8%) and 5-of-8 on 3-pointers (62.5%). For the No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 first round, his 19 fourth-quarter points set a Thunder rookie record (Holmgren is considered a rookie because he sat out last season due to injury).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an emerging MVP candidate, led the Thunder in scoring with 36 points while making 13-of-23 shots (56.5%), 2-of-3 on 3-pointers (66.7%), and 8-of-9 on free throws (88.9%).

Yet, the Rockets (25-32) were competitive most of the way thanks to a strong night from Smith, drafted one slot behind Holmgren at No. 3 in 2022. After sparking Houston’s victory Friday over Phoenix, Smith finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists on Sunday, shooting 6-of-14 overall (42.9%) and 4-of-9 on 3-pointers (44.4%).

Smith has now had consecutive games with 20+ points and 15+ rebounds after not having any in his career before this stretch.

It was a fine statistical game for Smith’s frontcourt mate, Alperen Sengun, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 6-of-12 (50.0%). However, he also had a game-high 6 turnovers, and many of Sengun’s points and rebounds came late in the fourth quarter — after the game had largely been decided.

Other individual stat lines of note for the Rockets, who raced out to a 16-point lead midway through the second quarter, included:

Fred VanVleet: 20 points, 3 assists; 7-of-16 shooting (43.8%), 4-of-10 on 3-pointers (40.0%)
Jalen Green: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists; 5-of-13 shooting (38.5%), 1-of-5 on 3-pointers
Dillon Brooks: 13 points, 2 assists; 4-of-5 on 3-pointers (80.0%)

It was a mixed bag for Houston’s rookie duo of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. Thompson had 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in 21 minutes while making some spectacular defensive plays. However, he shot just 2-of-10 (20.0%) and scored 6 points in 21 minutes.

Whitmore had 12 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 4-of-9 (44.4%) — but in contrast to Thompson, he struggled on defense.

Here’s our look at Sunday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up is Tuesday’s rematch in Oklahoma City, with tipoff at 9:00 p.m. Central.

Player grades: Thunder complete 16-point comeback in 123-110 win over Rockets

Player grades for the Thunder’s 123-110 win over the Rockets.

Stationed in the left corner spot, Chet Holmgren drilled a 3-pointer off a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pass. The bucket capped off a monster second half for OKC. It’s only fitting the seven-foot rookie hit the dagger after a nuclear fourth quarter.

The Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 16-point deficit to come away with a 123-110 win over the Houston Rockets. This was their league-leading 16th double-digit comeback of the season.

“We cut into (the deficit) and were able to get it to a safe spot at halftime,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “And then the guys did a great job at coming out of the half, showed great persistence — obviously, Houston shot it well early. But we got really on track physically and I was impressed with the way we did that.”

The early returns of this contest looked eerily similar to the Thunder’s previous visit to Houston this season. It looked like OKC would lay another egg at the Rockets with a poor showing.

The Rockets had a 34-31 advantage following the first quarter. By halftime, Houston’s lead grew to 62-57 which included owning a lead as high as 16 points in the opening two quarters.

The second half featured the Thunder finally exorcising their Houston demons with a dominant defensive performance that slowly chipped away at the scoreboard. A massive fourth-quarter run decisively turned this game in their favor.

The Thunder outscored the Rockets, 30-21, in the third quarter to enter the final frame with an 87-83 lead. OKC went on a commanding 20-7 run in the second half to open up a 14-point lead a little over three minutes into the final frame.

Holmgren was the catalyst of this run as he scored nine straight points for OKC to start the fourth quarter. The Rockets had no answer for the seven-foot center, who turned into a scoring machine.

The closest the Rockets got the rest of the way was within eight points before OKC responded with a 9-0 run to put this one away. The Thunder’s 36-point fourth quarter turned it from a double-digit deficit to a double-digit win for them.

Overall, OKC shot 47% from the field and went 17-of-35 (48.6%) from 3. It went 14-of-15 from the free-throw line. It also dished out 30 assists on 46 baskets.

Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 36 points on 23 shots to lead the Thunder in scoring. Holmgren had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists with 19 points in the fourth quarter. Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Lu Dort had 16 points.

“I thought (he) played with great recognition,” Daigneault said on Holmgren. “We continue to do a better and better job at finding him when he’s open for three and when he’s around the basket.”

Meanwhile, the Rockets shot 41% from the field and went 16-of-41 (39%) from 3. Houston held an advantage at the free-throw line over OKC, going 18-of-23.

Jabari Smith Jr. led the way with a monster 20-point and 17-rebound double-double. Alperen Sengun struggled through foul trouble and was limited to 19 points and 12 rebounds. Fred VanVleet had 20 points.

This was an impressive win for the Thunder, who’ve struggled in Houston recently. This comeback win snapped a five-game losing streak at Toyota Center for OKC. It also has now won 40 games before 20 losses, an impressive mark that’s been used as a barometer for serious contenders.

But considering what they’ve done this season, that’s been evident for quite a while now for the Thunder. A 40-17 record — with the 40th win being a gutted-out outing — is only an additional affirmation of that.

“We had some poise but it was more urgency. I thought tonight was a recognition of if we kept playing like that, they could’ve just run us off the floor,” Daigneault said on their double-digit comeback. “Our urgency ticked up and we go nastier and tougher and more tight and together on the defensive end of the floor.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.