Chet Holmgren makes history during bounce-back NBA Finals performance

Holmgren joined exclusive company as OKC defeated Indiana to tie up the NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) battle for control of the ball during the first quarter of game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Chet Holmgren etched his name into the NBA history books during the Oklahoma City Thunder's Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers Sunday night.

The former Gonzaga standout had himself a bounce-back performance following a quiet outing in Game 1, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block while shooting 6-of-11 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point land. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had himself an MVP-caliber night (34 points, eight assists, four steals) as OKC cruised to a 123-107 victory from the Paycom Center, evening up the 2025 NBA Finals at 1-1 apiece.

In the process, Holmgren joined elite company as one of only five players to knock down 25 or more 3-pointers and record over 30 blocks during a single playoff run. He became the youngest player to accumulate those stats as well, with Draymond Green, Rasheed Wallace, Al Horford and Myles Turner being the only other big men to reach those thresholds in a postseason.

Holmgren's 25th 3-pointer of the 2025 playoffs capped off quite a start to Game 2 from the 7-foot-1 center. Holmgren finished the first quarter with nine points, propelling the Thunder to a 26-20 lead and surpassing his total scoring output from Game 1.

OKC's supporting cast kept the foot on the gas pedal in the second quarter, as Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins helped set up a pivotal 17-2 scoring run that extended the Thunder's advantage to 23 points with under 5 minutes to play until halftime. The Pacers struggled to find any kind of success in the paint, and it didn't help that Tyrese Haliburton was less of a factor offensively after saving the day for Indiana in Game 1. The All-NBA guard ended the night with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, though his third field goal of the night wasn't until the 9:30 mark of the fourth quarter, when his team trailed by 20 points and OKC had the game in full control.

Players with 25+ threes and over 30 blocks in a playoffs:

— Draymond Green
— Rasheed Wallace
— Al Horford
— Myles Turner (this year)
— Chet Holmgren (this year)

Chet is the youngest player in NBA history to do it. pic.twitter.com/SqiC1nHYb5

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 9, 2025

Holmgren and company dominated on the defensive end of the floor, limiting the NBA's second-highest scoring team this postseason to 37-of-83 (45.1%) from the field and 14-of-40 (35%) from 3-point range. The Pacers had just 41 points at halftime, with former Gonzaga standout Andrew Nembhard contributing nine of those points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Nembhard finished the game with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, plus four assists, four rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes. The 6-foot-5 guard didn't hesitate out of the gate, scoring six of Indiana's first 11 points to keep pace with the Thunder on the other end. But unlike Game 1, there wasn't an opportunity to come through in the clutch and complete another improbable comeback.

Game 3 between OKC and Indiana is set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. (ABC).