Chet Holmgren delivered a composed breakdown after the Oklahoma City Thunder opened their Western Conference semifinal series with a 108-90 Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Paycom Center, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds while anchoring both ends of the floor.
Reflecting on the defensive shift that helped Oklahoma City pull away, Holmgren said, “Just making everything tough. They got good players over there. They’re well coached. So they’re going to run good stuff. They’re going to execute well. It comes down to how well we execute and get our stuff in the game. We did a good job of that.”
The Thunder center emphasized how in-game adjustments defined the second-half separation. He noted, “I feel like we’ve seen a good majority of what you can do out there on the basketball court. So I don’t think we were surprised by anything.”
Holmgren also pointed to Oklahoma City’s preparation window before the series, saying, “We had a long time in between our last game, so you want to try and do your best to prepare for who you’re going to be playing next. And once we knew that was the Lakers, we tried our best to not be surprised by anything.”
On offensive rhythm and his evolving role, Holmgren described increased consistency compared to last season. “I feel like I just feel more consistent and kind of knowing what to expect, knowing what the games are going to look like… I just feel a lot better physically than I did last year. So I feel confident in my body. I feel confident in every step that I’m taking.”
A key talking point was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s turnovers, which Holmgren defended by pointing to spacing issues rather than decision-making. “I think he made the right decision every single night… we had a couple turnovers in the pocket like that where he threw it right to where we should have been and we weren’t there. In the stat book those are his turnovers. But they shouldn’t be.”
Holmgren also highlighted the emotional energy moments in a physical playoff game, referencing Alex Caruso’s fourth-quarter dunk. “I feel like that’s part of the game and competing… when you play with a group of guys that you genuinely care for… I was definitely juiced after that one.”
On his own approach, Holmgren credited his drive to preparation and enjoyment of the process, stating, “Part of it is really enjoying basketball, enjoying the lifestyle of playing basketball, not what basketball gives you… I just try to prepare for what I’m going to see out there and continue to work on my game in every area that I want to improve.”
He also praised teammate Ajay Mitchell’s impact in high-pressure minutes, calling him “a killer” and adding, “we got 17 of those guys, not just AC,” underscoring Oklahoma City’s depth as the defending champions opened the series with authority.
