Navigating his teammates to their spots, Chet Holmgren roamed in the paint. As Pascal Siakam was about to get an easy reverse layup, the 23-year-old helped enough to emphatically swat the shot away. The Thunder had their two probable All-Star players show out.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>\u00a0couldn’t survive their recent uptick of injuries in their\u00a0117-114 loss<\/a>\u00a0to the\u00a0Indiana Pacers<\/a>. We learned that you can’t win a game when only three NBA players have positive contributions.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Holmgren finished with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 13 rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 7-of-8 on free throws. He also had three blocks.<\/p>\n Needing to size up as a scorer, Holmgren continues to be one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers. With several scoring possessions up for grabs, he showed off some of his self-creation skills. On the opening possession, he went straight at Siakam to hit the turnaround fadeaway jumper that resembled Dirk’s.<\/p>\n Several of his buckets looked like that. Without a playmaker, there were no easy looks to get. Holmgren consistently put the ball down and drove straight to the basket. If not that, he’d get the ball at the high post and go to work. A few jab steps and turnaround moves resulted in finger-roll layups.<\/p>\n It’s probably one of Holmgren’s most impressive games as a scorer. He kept his superb efficiency despite the difficulty of his buckets increasing. You even saw the seven-footer swish in a methodical stepback 3-pointer. It’s a shame all this happened in a loss.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n On the other end, Holmgren continued to build up his Defensive Player of the Year case. When he was on the floor, the Pacers’ driving lanes were erased. Most refused to go right at the rim. It feels inevitable that he’ll eventually lead the league in blocks. When he was off it, though, that’s where Indiana ran away on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n Say what you want about this loss, but you can’t deliver a single slice of blame pie to OKC’s two best players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren did enough to cruise to an easy win. I mean, they combined for freaking 72 points as a duo. It was the rest of the group that failed to provide any help.<\/p>\n As snow buries OKC, it’s your latest reminder that All-Star season is here. The Thunder already have one guy going to LA for the weekend festivities. They hope they can get another for a second consecutive year. Gilgeous-Alexander listed out why Holmgren should be named a first-time All-Star.<\/p>\n “His impact in winning is second to none. If you don’t win, it doesn’t matter. No matter what you’re going for. From the GM to the owner to the coach to the players to the fans. Everybody wants to be part of a team that wins,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Adding Chet Holmgren to your group adds wins. We’ve seen it here firsthand. He continues to grow and get better with his skill and game. It feels like he’s having the best year of his career.”<\/p>\n