Chet Holmgren responded to his disappointing Western Conference finals exit with a strong performance in the season opener, as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 on Tuesday night. Holmgren recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and served as the primary defender against Victor Wembanyama, who struggled offensively and finished 1-of-13 from the floor.
The result offered a sharp contrast to last season’s Game 7 home loss to the Spurs, which ended with a four-point, four-rebound dud from the All-NBA power forward/center.
Gilgeous-Alexander praises Holmgren’s impact
Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 32 points, said Holmgren’s influence goes beyond the numbers.
“Chet is an All-NBA talent on both ends of the floor,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “When he’s himself, your team is better. It’s as simple as that. When he’s aggressive, when he’s confident, when he’s out there playing his game, he makes your basketball team better. It’s no coincidence: He played better; we had a good night tonight. The box score doesn’t show everything he does out there. He changes everything for us.”
Scrap in the second quarter
The scuffle early in the second quarter gave the night some symbolism. Holmgren landed with a thud, and his teammates had his back.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox committed a flagrant foul 1 that left the lanky 7-footer sprawled on the floor in the middle of the paint. As Holmgren was posting up, Fox grabbed him by the shoulders from behind and tossed him to the floor. The other Thunder players on the floor converged to confront Fox.
After a review, officials assessed four technical fouls: one on Wembanyama and one to each Williams on Oklahoma City’s roster (Jaylin, Jalen and Kenrich).
“I’m going to get up and keep hooping, but I appreciate my teammates having my back,” Holmgren said. “I’m not necessarily sure how exactly we get three techs for reactions to something else. I don’t totally understand that.
“But at the end of the day, I feel like anything that you’re not willing to reciprocate is an advantage for the other team. So if they want to play physical, we have to match that, and the refs are going to do their job in keeping that within the guidelines.”
Fox: “I didn’t throw him that hard”
Fox implied that Holmgren embellished to sell the foul.
“[If] somebody grabs you like that and you go flying on the floor like that, you’ve got other problems to worry about,” Fox said. “I didn’t throw him that hard, I promise you.”
The Thunder considered Fox’s force on the play unnecessary and reacted accordingly, adding spice to what is shaping up as the NBA’s next great rivalry. Jaylin Williams was the first Thunder player on the scene, and he went face to chest with Wembanyama, who intervened on Fox’s behalf. Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams joined a split-second later.
“I didn’t really like the play,” Jalen Williams said. “I just ran in there. If anybody’s ever been in a scuffle, there’s really not a lot of thinking to it. It’s just, make sure I have my guys back in there. In NBA scuffles, just grab whoever’s close and just push. Cost me $2,500, though.
“It’s the first ever Williams, Williams, Williams T’d up. Happy to be a part of it.”