OKC Thunder Star Big Man Gearing Up for Another Postseason Run

The Thunder's third star is playing some of his best ball as of late.

Mar 1, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) looks on during the game between the Mavericks and the Thunder at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s postseason is just around the corner, and its All-Star big is making his presence felt.

On Monday night, the Thunder extended their league-leading win streak to 12 games with a 123-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. With the win on the road, the Thunder continued inching closer to the top seed in the West and best record in the league.

A big part of the Thunder’s success in Philadelphia was the performance of third-year big man Chet Holmgren. In the win, Holmgren tallied 17 points, nine rebounds and five blocks while leading the Thunder in minutes with just under 30.

Holmgren’s play continued his recent stretch of big performances. With Jalen Williams back on the floor against the 76ers, it was especially important to see Holmgren’s performance and production not drop off whatsoever. 

As the second option for most of the season, Holmgren has been a reliable offensive threat for the Thunder, even if his creation can be a bit spotty. As a play finisher, Holmgren has blossomed into one of the best in the league, and his chemistry with all of the ball handlers on the team has made for a lethal duo, regardless of who he’s in action with.

Holmgren’s 17-point performance marked his 10th straight game with double-digit points, all coming in the Thunder’s winning streak. While he’s only hit 30.3% of his threes in that stretch, he’s shooting 68.6% from inside the arc, a mark that would be good for second in the league across the entire season.

While Holmgren’s offensive rhythm is massive for the Thunder’s hopes of repeating, his defense has also been spectacular as of late. Already in the Defensive Player of the Year discussion for anchoring the league’s best defense, Holmgren is doing his best to make a late push, as evidenced by his five-block night against the Sixers.

With the postseason just around the corner, performances like that on both ends from Holmgren could easily be the difference for the Thunder in the biggest games. While Oklahoma City would love to see his outside shooting numbers tick back up, it’s hard to find any other faults with Holmgren’s play over the past few weeks.

With Williams now back in the lineup, Holmgren should have even less pressure on him and be in even better positions to make plays offensively. Holmgren has been a critical piece to Oklahoma City’s success since he stepped on the floor years ago, and he looks ready to star in the postseason again after his latest stretch.