Receiving the ball from the perimeter, Chet Holmgren was determined to go head-first to the basket. He took one dribble before he picked up the ball to drive to the basket.
Holmgren powered through Ryan Kalkbrenner and went up for the jam. Kon Knueppel learned why the NBA level is different when his attempt at a steal went nowhere fast as the seven-footer went up for the one-handed jam.
Holmgren finished with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting, eight rebounds and two assists. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had one block.
A strong second half helped the Oklahoma City Thunder collect a 109-96 win over the Charlotte Hornets. It was business as usual for the reigning NBA champions.
This is what Thunder fans have begged for since Holmgren arrived. He’s too talented a scorer not to take the third-most shots at worst. Too many times, he’d start strong but then slowly fade away as the game went along. Facing a depleted tanking squad serves as the best get-right medicine to boost your confidence.
Holmgren attacked often. The seven-footer found plenty of open looks around the basket thanks to his teammates. He sought his jumper. To the point that he swished in an outside look despite a Charlotte defender being right at his grill.
As Jalen Williams and others have missed time this season, Holmgren has taken advantage of a golden opportunity to have a breakout season. His pick-and-roll chemistry has improved across the board. Especially with Hartenstein. He’s been more willing to take mid-range jumpers. And the free-throw numbers are up.
All across, you have to be happy with what Holmgren has done so far this season. There’s been some downs, but he’s been a huge positive. The Thunder are nearly unstoppable when he has it going like this on both ends of the floor.
“He’s got great skill, hands, shooting touch. He’s done a great job this year of figuring out how to assert himself and be part of the team,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said about Holmgren. “Tonight was no different. He played aggressively and within the flow. He had a really nice game.”