OKC Thunder Superstar Praises Chet Holmgren’s Sacrifice: ‘He Was Special Tonight’

Oklahoma City is in the midst of a terrific season, and for the first time in a while, this team has a chance to win it all. The Thunder fixed up its sore spots on the roster by adding front court depth and defensive help, and the difference is clear.

Now that most of the roster is healthy, Oklahoma City is finally developing serious chemistry with lineups that will get heavy usage in the playoffs. It hasn’t always been this way, though. Mark Daigneault has had to make do with what he’s had at times, as this roster was injury riddled for most of the season.

The Thunder’s impressive 54-12 record is even more impressive considering Chet Holmgren missed most of the season. Since his return, he has been able to have a huge impact while easing back into the action.

Holmgren didn’t expect to rush back to the lineup right where he left off — he knew it would take time. Since returning, he has been a terrific defender and a team player on offense. Wednesday night, though, with Jalen Williams sidelined, Holmgren was able to be assertive. The team was counting on him to rise to the occasion as the second option and he delivered.

The big man turned in a monster stat line with 23 points, 15 rebounds and a block. His offense was crucial for the Thunder. He was able to transition from trying to fit in to now opposing his will. His superstar teammate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had a glowing review about his selflessness and ability to step up when his number his called.

Shai on Chet and his early 2Q stuff especially: “Dub’s out, but Chet is that caliber of player. He’s been taking a back seat, role wise, because he missed games. Hats off to his sacrifice. With the absence of Dub, I knew that he’d step into that role very easily.” pic.twitter.com/6BRiR3XwnY
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 13, 2025

“To me, like, Dub is out, he’s not in that lineup,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But Chet is that caliber of player. Him coming back, he has taken a back seat role-wise just because he missed so many games.

“It’s like, hats off to the sacrifice, but I knew that with the absence of Dub he would step into that role very confidently and very easily. I think that’s what we saw tonight. He was special tonight from the get-go.”

Oklahoma City is certainly at its best when both Holmgren and Williams are offensive weapons. But knowing either option can step up as a true No. 2 on any given night has to give the Thunder some confidence.

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