Chet Holmgren joins elite company with Game 2 performance

In just his second postseason, Chet Holmgren is already etching his name alongside some of the biggest names in the sport.

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Holmgren delivered another great performance in Game 2 of the Thunder’s first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, posting 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 19-point win. With that line, Holmgren joins Dwight Howard (twice), Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Amar’e Stoudemire as the only players in NBA history to record 20+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 5+ BLK in a playoff game before turning 23. He’s also the first sophomore to put up those numbers in the playoffs since Tim Duncan.

But that wasn’t all. Holmgren also hit three shots from beyond the arc, putting him in rare air — only six players in NBA history have ever had a 20-point, 5-block, 3-three-pointer playoff game: Dirk Nowitzki, Alonzo Mourning, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, and now Chet Holmgren.

“I’m just trying to read what the game’s giving me,” Holmgren said postgame. “Be slow, but play fast.”

But for Holmgren, it wasn’t just the numbers that stood out — it was the resilience.

“They made their run,” Holmgren said postgame. “We just weren’t surprised by it. That’s what good teams do. We had to adjust and respond, and I think we did a great job of that.”

Defense

Holmgren's defensive timing was masterful — 5 blocks to just 1 foul — and his feel for the game is evolving fast. He credited film study, playing off teammates like Isaiah Hartenstein, and a growing ability to make quicker reads: “The faster I can make the decision, the more time I have to execute it. I’m just trying to slow things down and be slow, but play fast at the same time.”

The Thunder defense as a whole suffocated Memphis early, holding their starters to just 3-of-21 shooting in the first quarter and dominating in transition with an 18-point edge in fast break scoring. Holmgren praised the guards , Lou Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso ,for disrupting at the point of attack: “We were talking about it on the bench... we’d hate to play against our own defense.”

Offensively, Holmgren continued to stretch the floor, going 2-of-8 from three, and noted that he’s not hunting numbers but letting the game dictate his looks: “If it gives me eight, I’ll shoot eight. If it gives me four, I’ll shoot four.”

With back-to-back double-digit rebound games and rising playoff confidence, Holmgren's postseason emergence is giving OKC a two-way anchor as they head to Memphis with a 2-0 series lead.

“We’ve put game one and two behind us,” Holmgren said. “Now it’s about preparing for game three.”

Looking Ahead

Western Conference First Round – Thunder vs. Grizzlies

1. Game 3: Thursday, April 24 – at FedExForum – 8:30 PM (TNT / FanDuel Sports Network)
2. Game 4: Saturday, April 26 – at FedExForum – 2:30 PM (TNT / FanDuel Sports Network)
3. Game 5: Monday, April 28 – at Paycom Center – Time/TV TBD (if necessary)
4. Game 6: Thursday, May 1 – at FedExForum – Time/TV TBD (if necessary)
5. Game 7: Saturday, May 3 – at Paycom Center – Time/TV TBD (if necessary)