Chet Holmgren Reacts to First Game vs. Nikola Jokic

OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren faced Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for the first time on Sunday afternoon, and got a closeup look at what makes the reigning Finals MVP so great. Jokic finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists in just 30 minutes of play, and while people will point to the matchup with Holmgren, Jokic has put up similar and even better stat lines against perennial All-Star and All-NBA bigs.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Holmgren was asked about this matchup with Jokic, saying, "We watched film and game planned and stuff. Obviously a new experience. Never played against him in my life. Can't say I've played against anybody super similar to him in my life... There's definitely a lot of things that he does that is hard to replicate."

Chet Holmgren on whether he’s “surprised” by Jokic. pic.twitter.com/nY0LpV7BBR
— 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗠. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼 (@SuaveCEO_) October 29, 2023

Holmgren was specifically answering a question about whether or not there was anything that surprised him about Nikola Jokic, and said surprised wouldn't be the right word, but there were definitely things Jokic did that the Thunder rookie had never seen another player do.

This is part of what makes Jokic so great, because while teams can attempt to game plan for him, there are areas his game that are unstoppable even if planned for. The Nuggets star showed that off on Sunday afternoon, putting on a show vs. OKC.

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