Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren spoke candidly after Thursday’s 108-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The defeat forced a decisive Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.
“We have to be better at kind of course correcting, getting ourselves back on the right track,” Holmgren said when asked about the team’s early turnovers. He added, “I personally myself could be better trying to help us get things going in the right way.”
Holmgren declined to point to a single cause for the disappointing performance. “At the end of the day, there really is no explanation. There’s no excuse,” he said. “We have to execute better from top to bottom, myself included.”
The Pacers dominated with a 68-32 run in the middle quarters after a sluggish start, led by Obi Toppin’s 20 points off the bench. The Thunder struggled to respond, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 21 but committing eight turnovers.
Addressing the emotional balance after such a loss, Holmgren said, “Nobody’s happy right now, but you can’t let the emotions sidetrack you from what we need to do leading up to and during the game coming up.” He stressed the importance of learning from the defeat while preparing for Game 7.
Playing the decisive game at home is a significant advantage, Holmgren acknowledged. “You could ask every team in the NBA. Every team would take this opportunity, take this chance, and we’re no different,” he said.
He also noted the physical intensity of closeout games, describing the challenge: “No team’s just going to roll over and go home. It’s going to be really physical. There’s not going to be any favors from the officiating. You have to make it happen.”
Game 7 will take place Sunday night at Paycom Center, where the Thunder will attempt to close out the series in front of their home crowd. The Pacers have shown resilience throughout the playoffs, coming back from early-season struggles and multiple comebacks.
Holmgren emphasized the team’s need to improve execution. “We have to learn the lesson from tonight and come back and be better.”
