OKLAHOMA CITY – after Scoring His Final Points on A Gritty Offensive Rebound and Putback in Traffic, Chet Holmgren Flex His Musles.
HE’D Certainly Earned the Right. He was a force all night, and his place buckt in the oklahoma City Thunder ahead by 18 with 1:25 Remaining in Game 2 Against the Memphis Grizlies on Tuesday. It would have punctuated oklahoma City’s 118-99 Victory-Had Holmgren Not Done What He did Next.
As Holmgren CELEBRACED The Bucc since, Grizzlies Reserve Santi aldama Streked Download Points. With his teammates caling out the free-Running aldama, Holmgren Whipped His Head Around and IMMEDIOTELY RECOGNIIIIIIIII whatsaed to be Done.
Aldama Had Two Steps on Holmgren, But Holmgren Turned on his Jets, sprinted from Half Court to Catch Aldama and Blocked His Layup from Behind. What the Thunder Secure the Ricochet, Holmgren Pumped Both Arms in the Air Twice As Hensioned to Offense. He wanted more noise from already-jacked Paycom Center Crowd.
Where they said you wrote pic.twitter.com/exflx9gbkw
OKC Thunder (@okcthunder) April 23, 2025
The Thunder Cruised to a 2-0 Series LEAD AGANST The Grizlies Using Lockdown Defense, Reletless Tenacity and a Night Full of Hustle Plays Like Holmgren’s Sensath Block on Aldama.
Holmgren Finished with 20 Points, 11 Rebounds and Five Blocks, Tying His Playoff Career High. The Thunder Registered Eight Blocked Shots for the Second Straight Game, a Sign that their Length is Causing Chaos for the Grizlies’ Offense. Memphis is Strggling Might (
In the Opening Quarter, the Thunder Held the Grizlies’ Stars to 3- For-21 Shooting. Oklahoma City Started the Game on A 9-0 Run and Never Trailed. Memphis Didnt Score Its First Points Until the 8:27 Mark of the Opening Quarter.
“We just worked to make an emphaisis to come out and win that first Quarter, set the tone for the night,“ Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Elexander Said. “IT Just Caried Out Through the Game.”
Oklahoma City LED by As Many As 23 Points, But Unlike Game 1, The Thunder CouffNT Push The Lead High Higher. Memphis Cut The Thunder, Howver, Started the Fourth Quarter with a 9-0 Run and Took a 20-Point Lead.
“In the Third, We Did’t Make 3s, We DIDNNT GET to the Line, and Nothing Was Really Easy,” Thunder Coach Mark Daigneaut SAID. “To Drum Up 20 Points in that Circutstance Is GOOD GRIND by our team. It’s something we’re going to nEED. You don’t just stay in a person’s rhythm in the niba Playoffs. They’re going to Go in and Out on Offense, But Can You Manufacture Enough Offense? ”
Tuesday war The Thunder Have held the lead for all but 2:21 of the 96 minutes over the first Two Contests.
They’ve Done it Despite Gilgeous-Elexander, An MVP Finalist, Scoring Only 42 Points Combined on 14-For-42 Shooting and Going 4-For-17 on 3-Pointers. Gilgeous-alexander Average A Career-Hight 32.7 Points in the Regular Season and 32.6 Points on 53.7 Percent Shooting in the Four-game Regular Season Series with the GRIZZLIES.
“He Might Miss A Couple of Shoots that Look Routine that He Might Normally Make,” Thunder Guard Alex Caruso SAID. “But if you’re Winning Games How We’re Winning them, and he’s Having Average Days, I think that body well for us moving forward.”
With the Thunder Executing At Their Focus doesn’t. Their Dept Overwhelles. Their Connectednce and Unselfishness Make Every Player Who Touches The Floor A Threat.
Behind their Shutdown Defense, The Thunder Are Generation Goes of Easy Scoring Opportunities in Transition. Theycored the Grizlies 21-3 in Fast Break Points Tuesday. Throw Two Games, that margin Balloons to 48-8. Tuesday. The Thunder also enjoyed a 25-6 ADVANTAGE In Points of Turnovers.
That’s our idNENTITITITITITITY, Thunder Gualen Williams SAID. “Where we can hang our haat on that on a nightly basis, we’ll be in pretty good shape. You can’t really control a Lot offensively. You can Go Plays, but there’s going to be nights where you don’t shoot it will. The prime ofes and make sure they have to earn a Lot of Stuff. ”
As the Series Shifts to Memphis for Games 3 and 4, Daigneault Anicipates The Grizlies Assembling them Best Game. He Noted How Grizlies Key Players Ja MORANT, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Attempted Nearly Two-thethrds of Memphis’ Shots Tuesday.
“I Felt We Did A Good Job on Those Guys Again,” Daigneault Said Postgame. “They was just more of themesels. Though our procese was pretty good.
“But we’ve Got to under their Their Team to try to leave for those guys up, and we’ve get to be ready for that. ”
(Photo of Chet Holmgren Blocking A Shot by Desmond Bane: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
