Chet Holmgren Explains How He Can Be Better in Game 2 of NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals and Oklahoma City needs more from Holmgren to be able to crown themselves Champions. The big man explained about he could be better.

Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) looks on during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Indiana rolled back into the Finals for the first time since 2000 to pull off a jaw-dropping upset in the Paycom Center on Thursday.

Despite entering the Finals as the heavy favorites, the Thunder crumbled down the stretch of Game 1 to dig themselves an 0-1 hole. Oklahoma City has to play catch up the rest of the way in order to grab its first NBA Championship in team history.

A big reason of why the Thunder lost Game 1 was the lack of production from its No. 2 and No. 3 scoring options, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, not showing up.

The Thunder need more from Holmgren and Williams, while understanding the pressure they are placing a pair of third year players under. For Holmgren, a true year and a half NBA veteran due to injuries, it would take another outlier series (compared to NBA history) for the Thunder big man to deliever a title to Oklahoma City in 2025.

At NBA Finals media day ahead of Game 2, Holmgren gave a simple explanation for how he can be better.

“I feel like I could’ve slowed down. Kinda finished some of those plays at the rim. Obviously, it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the game. It puts a magnifying glass on every single instance in the game, I feel like everybody was feeling that," Holmgren said. "On some of them, too quick, on the ones that involved help side [defense], just slowing down and understanding where they are. Some of those one-on-one plays, I wouldn't say it was so much slowing down, I would say just being more under control. Above everything else, I would say worry more about impacting the game in all other facets."

Holmgren is correct, the Oklahoma City Thunder big man just needs to slow down and process the game better than he did in Game 1 while playing with more force around the rim and attacking off the catch to be able to create advantages for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City faces a must-win game in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Chet Holmgren talking about where he can improve from Game 1.

“I could’ve slowed down. …it obviously hurts in a one point loss. One single difference on one play could have decided the game. …i feel like everybody was feeling that.” pic.twitter.com/FL5aCtMVF9

— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) June 7, 2025