Two Big Nights From Chet Holmgren Let OKC Thunder Top Lakers, Clippers

The Thunder big man was a key piece to a Thunder win on both Tuesday and Wednesday night.

April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

OKC’s big man dominated both Los Angeles teams on back-to-back nights. 

The Thunder finished their last back-to-back series of the season on Wednesday night, as they took down the Clippers in L.A. This marked a sweep of the back-to-back stretch, as OKC took care of business on Tuesday night against the Lakers as well. 

One key factor helped the Thunder in its bouts against both Los Angeles squads, and in a big way. Chet Holmgren has had two stellar back-to-back games, putting up a double-double in each bout. 

On Tuesday night against the Lakers, Holmgren had 15 points and 10 rebounds, as well as adding two blocks and two steals to his total for the night. The Thunder’s star big man shot an efficient 60% from the floor, which is on par for him, as Holmgren shoots 55.4% from the field on average. 

Wednesday night was even better for Holmgren, ending the Thunder’s game against the Clippers as the leading scorer with 30 points, as well as grabbing 14 boards on the night. Holmgren was again a menace on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with four blocks and two steals, on his way to help OKC in another rout win. Wednesday night was another efficient night for Holmgren, as he shot 76.9% from the floor, only missing three of his 13 shot attempts. 

This 30-point performance was the most Holmgren has scored in a game since November, and hopefully is a sign of more performances to come in the postseason. The Thunder clinched the No.1 seed on the back of Holmgren on Wednesday night, and now will be looking for him to continue performing like this in the playoffs. 

He’s averaging 16.9 points and 8.8 rebounds a game, along with nearly two blocks a game for the Thunder. This is the most points and rebounds Holmgren has ever averaged in a season, but he can continue to do more. 

It wasn’t by much, but last year Holmgren averaged more points and rebounds in the postseason than he did in the regular season. If the Thunder's big man can continue this trend this year, then performances like Wednesday night could become more frequent. 

Holmgren has continued to be a key piece in Oklahoma City’s success throughout the season, and as the playoffs are approaching, the Thunder are hoping he can continue this success and help lead them to their second straight championship.