After a blowout loss in Game 4, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back strong, securing a 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s MVP-caliber performance undoubtedly paved the way for OKC, the superstar had to give props to Chet Holmgren for his vital contributions.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s big man rotation has had a tough time against Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference Finals, but none has struggled as much as Chet Holmgren. In Game 5, however, the Thunder star finally lived up to his potential, posting 16 points, 11 rebounds, a block, and a steal, helping his team secure a 3-2 lead.
During his postgame media availability, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized the faith he had in Holmgren by stating:
“He was really good. Chet has all the tools, and everybody in our building and the league knows that. He’s a hell of a player. As a player, you’re going to go through your ups and downs. I don’t ever worry about Chet just because I know how much he loves the game, how much he cares, and how much he works.”
“He’ll figure it out, no matter what it looks like. He’ll get to it. I’d bet on Chet 10 times out of 10, and he proved why I would bet on him tonight.”
Chet Holmgren has played a key role as the Thunder’s defensive anchor this season. As the runner-up in the DPOY race, Holmgren is largely viewed as one of the best defensive players in the league. However, this has been put to the test against Victor Wembanyama in this series.
In the WCF, Holmgren is averaging 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game. Considering that he averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game during the regular season, the drop-off in production is shocking.
Needless to say, the Thunder big man has been criticized for not being aggressive enough against Wembanyama. In Game 5, however, it looked as if he finally responded. After a solid outing, OKC can only hope Holmgren can build upon this and close the series out in Game 6.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander On How OKC Bounced Back
The Thunder’s performance in Game 4 could be viewed as one of their most disappointing ones of the season. Given that they were held to under 90 points for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the loss was a jarring one for OKC.
Still, the manner in which the team has gathered its bearings is impressive. On that note, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared how the Thunder bounced back while speaking with the media.
“I think we just learned from our mistakes,” Gilgeous-Alexander noted. “We learned from what we talked about as a group. And we just applied it tonight. I think that is the most important thing.”
“A series against a really good team is like a chess match. You go back and forth in adjustments and game plans, switching things and trying new things. I think, obviously, they punched us really good in Game 4, but we got better than the team that played Game 4 in Game 5.”
As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stated, the Thunder evolved as a team between Games 4 and 5. Even the superstar, who only had 19 points in the previous outing, delivered a strong 32-point showcase to lead his team to victory on Tuesday night.
With this win, OKC finds itself one step closer to returning to the NBA Finals. While all the momentum is on their side again, facing the Spurs on the road could prove daunting. Given the opportunity to close things out in Game 6, the Thunder will hope their role players put their best foot forward on Thursday.
