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Chet Holmgren “was a monster” when Donner comes to the NBA final 'door

Chet Holmgren “was a monster” when Donner comes to the NBA final 'door

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Chet Holmgren went step by step with Jaden McDaniel's step by step when he was carrying towards the basket. After a few steps, the long, lanky Minnesota wing recognized that he would not meet the thundering tall man, so he turned and went to his left hand.

It was exactly what Holmgren wanted.

McDaniels to force them into this hand gave Holmgren the upper hand.

He didn't. He did not reach.

He waited.

As far as this is possible in a fast-moving Bang Bang game at the end of an important final game of the western conference.

When McDaniels sent a shot towards the basket, Holmgren grabbed the ball, got a few fingers on it and hit him on the back board just before the shot. His block in the last minute Monday evening was the exclamation mark.

Donner 128, wolves 126.

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There are many reasons why Oklahoma City is now winning a win in front of the NBA final. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tor. Jalen Williams' shoot. The defense, persistence and resilience of the thunder. Didn't this loss of 42 points in game 3 feel two years ago instead of two days ago?

But no thunder was larger than Holmgren.

His statistics: 21 points, seven rebounds, a steal and three blocks.

“He is just a victorious player,” said SGA. “He was a really good version of himself tonight.”

Holmgren was such a game channel that reporter Anthony Edwards in the changing room after playing about the effects of SGA and Williams, the Timberwolves superstar, threw his answer in a different way.

“I think Chet has changed the game more than anything for her,” said Edwards and mentioned the simple rebound and simple putbacks that Holmgren had.

“I think that changed the game.”

Holmgren easily had his best game in the series and one of the best playoff games in his career. Yes, he had this great offensive game when the thunder in the first round made this big comeback against Memphis against Memphis when he scored five 3 points and scored 24 points. But he had no blocks that night. No steal either.

Its defense effects were much larger on Monday.

Mussatto: Minnesota is at home for Chet Holmgren, but now it's the biggest stage for Thunder Star

“Chet was a monster,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneult. “Five played and fought all night over the majority.”

The thunder mostly disappeared from its double Big line-up and went with smaller line-up for long distances of the game. This enabled OKC to put more perimeter defenders onto the floor, people like Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. It was helpful to support Lu, Williams and SGA, because with Edwards and Randle next to the reserves that had hot hands, Alexander Walker and Donte Divincenzo Prime fought among them.

But with Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid and still trying to cause chaos, Daigneult opted for Holmgren.

He played 33 minutes against Isaiah Hartenstein 15.

Who knows? Perhaps this Wednesday, when The Thunder has the chance to close this series, freaked out, but on Monday Holmgren was the absolute correct answer.

And then he went out and hit 9 out of 14 shots, including 2 out of 4 behind the arch.

“It was incredible,” said Gilgeous-Alexander about Holmgrens Nacht. “Helluva player. At both ends of the floor, he plays on such a high level and it is crazy because he is just walking around.”

Wait. Did he say, Holmgren just runs around?

“We rarely call games for him”

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Suggestion for Daigneult and Co.: When Holmgren plays like that without playing games or calling him, it may be time to run a couple for him.

Because on Monday he was assertive and powerful and confident and masterful.

And he did it on home. Holmgren, they undoubtedly think, comes from Minneapolis. Grew up there. Learned basketball there. Even four State High School basketball championships won in the same arena in which he played on Monday.

Being back in Minnesota has to exert additional pressure.

“I literally look half of his city in the family department,” joked Williams during a Live Postgame interview with Scott van Pelt on ESPNS SportsCenter.

Holmgren admits that he did not loved the way in which his first playoff game went down in his hometown.

But his second?

It was one for the collective album.

“I felt like I was playing a better game,” said Holmgren. “I still had routes in which I felt that I could be better. … But as a team I thought we were much better tonight.

“I would say that the big thing just tried to have fingerprints in the game.”

Certainly to say that Holmgren did so much as if he had his fingerprints in this fourth quarter, crunch-time shot, which he blocked.

More: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the next MVP, but can he be the face of the NBA?

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Follow how on facebook.com/jennicarlsonok at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok and support your work and other Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription today.

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