OKC Thunder Star Looking to Avoid Emotional Toll of NBA Finals

The Thunder are in the midst of a hard-fought championship battle.

Jun 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and center Myles Turner (33) during the first half during game three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City is looking to win its first NBA title, but it must stay poised to reach its goals.

On Wednesday night, the Thunder fell in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers to fall down 2-1 in the best-of-seven battle. After dropping Game 1 in heartbreaking fashion, the Thunder had similar fourth-quarter issues in their most recent defeat.

Going into Game 4, the Thunder are essentially in a must-win situation as they look to avoid a near-insurmountable 3-1 deficit. If the Thunder can take Game 4, they would regain home-court advantage and head back home for a pivotal Game 5.

Of course, to get to that point, the Thunder will need to have the right mindset going into Friday night’s big game. Thunder big man Chet Holmgren understands the importance of having the right attitude ahead of such a defining moment.

“I wouldn't say that now is the time for emotions to be thinking about how you're feeling, emotional this, emotional that,” Holmgren said. “You kind of have to cut that out and just kind of look at the substance of what it is.”

In Game 3, Holmgren had a stellar start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and helping the Thunder secure an eight-point lead after 12 minutes. However, Holmgren shot only 2-of-10 after that first quarter and finished the night with just 20 points. 

His performance over the final three quarters was one of many reasons why the Thunder were unable to take Game 3. While those struggles from a young player might be crushing in many situations, there’s a reason why Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has repeatedly said that Holmgren is always the last guy he’s worried about when it comes to bouncing back.

“We have a great opportunity here,” Holmgren said. “The great thing is we have another game coming up, Game 4. We can't be thinking about frustration or anything. No matter how good it's going, how bad it's going, the focus can't be on your emotions. It has to be on what we're trying to accomplish, the task at hand.”

The Thunder haven’t lost consecutive games in this postseason and have secured a road win in all three of their Game 4 matchups thus far. If Oklahoma City can simply look like the team it has been all season, Holmgren and company should be able to arrive back home with a 2-2 series.

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