OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) \u2014 Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren could block his hometown team from winning an NBA championship.<\/p>\n
Holmgren, a 7-foot-1 forward, has helped the Oklahoma City Thunder take a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals. He scored 22 points in Game 2, a 118-103 Thunder win<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Now, he will play Game 3 on Saturday in the same building where he won his fourth state title for Minnehaha Academy in his final high school game.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime I go home and play, it\u2019s great to be able to play in front of friends, family, old coaches, old teammates,\u201d Holmgren said. \u201cI never take it for granted, and it\u2019s definitely come full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n The Timberwolves weren’t as good as they are now during Holmgren’s childhood \u2014 they missed the playoffs every year from 2005 to 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up, Minnesota was never in the playoffs, so that atmosphere was never really there in the city,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I\u2019m sure it\u2019s insane right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Holmgren was a local celebrity as one of the nation\u2019s top high school prospects. His high school coach, Lance Johnson, said it got crazy at times.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would go on road trips and high school and gyms would be packed,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were games where we had him sneak him out of back doors. We pulled up in buses and there were people waiting to shake his hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson, of course, shares that love for Holmgren. He said he will be conflicted heading into the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cI love Chet, I cheer for Chet, I love the Timberwolves, I cheer for the Timberwolves,\u201d Johnson said. \u201dIt\u2019s a nice, soft cushion to fall on if the Timberwolves possibly lose that Chet wins and OKC advances so I can continue to watch him.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Holmgren might have rubbed a few Timberwolves fans the wrong way when he dunked, then stared down Minnesota\u2019s Donte DiVincenzo in Game 2 and got called for a technical for taunting. Still, Johnson said he expects that the reception for Holmgren will be warm.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be surprised if he wasn\u2019t cheered for,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe\u2019s done nothing but make Minnesota people proud. He plays the game with a great attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson said Holmgren, though slightly built, has always been tough. Holmgren played through a groin injury his junior year in high school, then got checked out and he had to miss a month.<\/p>\n After a successful year at Gonzaga, Holmgren was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, but he missed his entire first year after breaking his foot in the offseason. He recovered to be runner-up in the rookie of the year balloting the next season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Holmgren was off to a hot start this season when he broke a pelvic bone and missed 50 games. Johnson fully expected Holmgren to recover and play well, and he did. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been so resilient throughout all his life that I knew he was going to come back,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cAnd he\u2019s now playing better than he ever has.\u201d<\/p>\n Holmgren said it\u2019s taken some work to fit back into a team that was winning without him, but his teammates made it easier.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t always control circumstances, but you can kind of control how you attack them,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that\u2019s what I try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n