Thunder's Chet Holmgren makes big promise for bounce back in Game 7
The post Thunder's Chet Holmgren makes big promise for bounce back in Game 7 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren vowed to bounce back from Game 6 of the NBA Finals, where he finished with four points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Indiana Pacers. After a 108-91 loss on the road, Holmgren promised to be better in a do-or-die Game 7 at the Paycom Center for all the marbles.
Advertisement
Heading into Sunday's matchup, where either the Thunder or the Pacers will be crowned NBA champions, Holmgren refused to reveal the kinds of adjustments that made him so confident to guarantee a better outing after the Thunder's 17-point loss in Game 6.
'You guys will see that tomorrow when the ball tips up,' Holmgren told ClutchPoints, suggesting perhaps a new strategy Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault may be cooking up for the last game of the season. Or Holmgren's doubling down on his bet with himself to turn things around.
Holmgren responded to a similar performance he had in Game 1 against the Pacers, where he finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. Then, he scored 15 points on 6-of-11 attempts in a 123-107 win that evened the best-of-7 series, 1-1. In Game 3, perhaps Holmgren's best performance, he finished with a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds). However, it came in a losing effort as Indiana took a 2-1 lead before Oklahoma City punched back with back-to-back wins.
Advertisement
Offensively, it's been an up-and-down series for Chet, who hasn't been himself throughout these NBA Finals. The starting forward is averaging 11.3 points on 35.3% shooting, including 11.8% on 2-for-17 attempts from deep. While his rebounding and defending have dropped off a bit over the past couple of games, Holmgren's shooting hit rock bottom in Game 6 — a far cry from the 15.2 points on 45.3% shooting he's posted throughout the postseason.
Bogged down by his 29.2% shooting from deep throughout the playoffs, Holmgren's field-goal shooting percentage dipped to 45.3% compared to shooting at a 49.0% clip during the regular season.
Chet Holmgren vows to bounce back for Thunder in Game 7
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a strong message for Game 7 that resonates with what Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and the rest of his teammates should abide to. Sticking to what granted the Thunder now a second chance to clinch their franchise's first championship at home, Holmgren doesn't doubt his team's fight after losses.
Advertisement
'No matter what it is, we have to be better at course-correcting, getting ourselves back on the right track. I personally, myself, will be better, trying to help get things going the right way,' Holmgren. 'At the end of the day, we still have a great opportunity in Game 7.'
The Thunder will host the Pacers on Sunday.
Related: Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein talks career of 'Game 7s' before Finals finale vs. Pacers
Related: Jalen Williams ready for 'different energy' from Thunder fans in Game 7
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Thunder injuries: Will Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Brooks Barnhizer play Summer League?
Fresh off an NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder will experience some serious whiplash. Less than a month separates the 2025 NBA Finals and the start of the 2025 Summer League. Let's say the consequences of both environments are opposites. All intrigue revolves around the Thunder's injury statuses. They drafted Thomas Sorber with the No. 12 pick and Brooks Barnhizer with the No. 44 pick. Both suffered season-ending foot injuries in their final college seasons. Sorber had surgery in February, while Barnhizer was ruled out in the same month. Nikola Topic is also another name to watch. The 19-year-old missed his first season after he suffered a partially torn ACL in May 2024. That dropped his draft status to the 2024 NBA draft No. 12 pick, which the Thunder cashed in on to take him. After being out for over a year, most assume Topic will play at least some of the Thunder's Summer League. He attended Sorber's and Barnhizer's introductory press conference. Here's an injury update on all three players: Nikola Topic Mark Daigneault declined to comment on Topic's status. Instead, Thunder PR said they will release the Summer League roster at a later date. That should tell us whether or not the 19-year-old will finally make his OKC debut. Thomas Sorber Sorber said the Thunder will take his injury day-to-day. He also kept his status close to the vest. The 19-year-old suffered turf toe that caused him to undergo surgery. Brooks Barnhizer This was the only confirmation. Barnhizer had a foot injury that ended his collegiate season in February. He said he's good to go and will play in Summer League. He knocked off any rust in his 16 predraft workouts. He also mentioned that the Thunder were his first workout and that stuck with him throughout the other 15.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
OKC Thunder to split 2025 Summer League coach duties to 2 assistants
With Summer League around the corner, the Oklahoma City Thunder will get a chance to see some fresh faces less than a month after they won the NBA championship. No sentence better exemplifies how around-the-clock the league can get. The Thunder introduced Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer. They were the NBA champions' sole draft picks at No. 15 and No. 44, respectively. Mark Daigneault also revealed who will coach Summer League this year. Per usual, OKC will play at Salt Lake City and Las Vegas from July 5-20 with at least eight games on the docket. Daigneault said Thunder assistant Daniel Dixon will coach the Utah portion of the schedule. He also said Thunder assistant Connor Johnson will coach the Las Vegas portion of the schedule. The full Summer League schedule can be viewed here. Dixon will enter his fourth season with the Thunder as an assistant coach. He was the Las Vegas Summer League coach last year. He played college basketball at Williams & Mary. Meanwhile, Johnson will enter his sixth season with the Thunder. He was previously the Philadelphia 76ers' G League coach. The Thunder have put their assistant coaches under different descriptions from time to time. Daigneault's coaching experience stems from his long tenure as the G League's OKC Blue head coach before he was a Thunder assistant for one season. This gives Dixon and Johnson a chance to get head coach reps in a low-stress NBA environment. The Thunder have had one of the best developmental programs over the years. That helped them reach an NBA championship this past week.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Draft picks Sorber and Barnhizer embrace Thunder culture
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City draft picks Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer sounded like Thunder veterans during their introductory press conference on Saturday. Sorber mentioned several times that he looks forward to learning from his new teammates and Barnhizer talked about stacking days. Both are hallmarks of the messaging that comes from general manager Sam Presti and coach Mark Daigneault. Presti brought up how the players match the franchise's mentality. Both were selected within a week of Oklahoma City winning the NBA title. 'They both represent the type of things that we're constantly striving to add to the organization,' Presti said. 'One, they bring positive energy to the environments that they're in. They're defensive minded players. They're physical players, and they have team orientation. And because of that. That's why they're sitting here today.' Thunder culture also includes barking and postgame shenanigans during interviews. The draftees like how the Thunder — the youngest team since 1977 to win a championship — let loose and have fun while keeping success at the forefront. 'I mean, there's just no better fit for guys like me and Thomas to come in and try to add whatever we can, stack days day by day and try to join that, kind of just immerse ourselves in that environment,' Barnhizer said. 'And we can't wait for that.' Sorber, 19, was the 15th overall pick in the first round on Wednesday. The 6-foot-9, 263-pound forward/center averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game as a freshman at Georgetown before a toe injury cut his season short. 'He's got a ways to go in some areas, but he's pretty holistic in terms of his ability to catch, finish pass, defend,' Daigneault said. Barnhizer, 23, was a second-round pick who went 44th overall. The 6-6, 230-pound forward averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season. He played all four years of his career at Northwestern, though a foot injury shortened his final season. Presti might have found yet another diamond in the rough. He said he stumbled upon Barnhizer by accident at a game he attended to scout a different player. 'I had no idea who he was, honestly,' Presti said. 'And then within the game, I found myself watching him more than the person I was supposed to be there watching, and we kind of put his name down and made sure that we kept tabs on him from that point on. And. I'm very fortunate to have him in the program.' ___ AP NBA:
