The San Antonio Spurs secured a hard-fought 122-115 2OT victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. With a spectacular performance by Victor Wembanyama, it is safe to say that the Spurs’ superstar dominated in his playoff matchup against Chet Holmgren.
To say that Chet Holmgren was outplayed in Game 1 would be an understatement. In comparison to Victor Wembanyama’s 41 points, 24 rebounds, and three blocks, Holmgren’s eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks were disappointing. On that note, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins slammed Holmgren for not taking this matchup personally on “SportsCenter.”
“Can he try? That’s the first thing. Can he try?” Perkins criticized. “Because I saw him ducking smoke tonight. I saw him guarding other people on the perimeter. I didn’t see too much of him in one-on-one action guarding Wemby, and he knows that beef has been around since their high school days.”
Earlier in the segment, Perkins had addressed how Wembanyama plays against the Thunder as if he holds a grudge against them. Although he underplayed his rivalry with Chet Holmgren, which dates back to their U-19 FIBA days, it is evident that Wembanyama takes this personally.
“In order for him to even stand a chance, Chet Holmgren is going to have to take this personally, especially on the defensive side of the basketball,” Perkins continued. “He’s going to have to show why he finished as one of the top guys in the DPOY runners. Tonight, he’s going to have a hard time getting sleep.”
“He’s got to take this personally because Wemby is not going to stop,” he added. “I’m going to say it again. Chet, if you’re watching this, if his family is watching this, Victor Wembanyama doesn’t like you. You need to have the same feelings for him.”
Given the outcome of the game, it is difficult to argue with Kendrick Perkins’ statement. Considering what Chet Holmgren is capable of producing on both ends of the floor, the Thunder big man has routinely come up short when matched up against Victor Wembanyama this season.
Of the four times he faced Wembanyama in the regular season, Holmgren has failed to outscore him on every occasion, though he did successfully outrebound the Spurs’ big man in their last two meetings. Overall, with averages of 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game against the Spurs this season, Holmgren’s struggles against San Antonio are apparent.
Despite his shortcomings for the majority of the game, Chet Holmgren did notch a crucial block on Wembanyama at the end of regulation to force OT against the Spurs (108-108). Still, considering the sheer difference in their output on Monday night, Holmgren wasn’t very impactful.
Needless to say, this performance reflects poorly on Holmgren, especially when considering that the Thunder, as a unit, were struggling to assert themselves offensively. Given his averages of 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.4 steals on 60.0% shooting from the field in the postseason, the Thunder should demand more from their star in Game 2.
