Thunder news: Chet Holmgren reveals secret sauce behind 29-point comeback
04/25/2025 07:47 AM
Chet Holmgren powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a remarkable 29-point comeback, capitalizing on Ja Morant's exit with a hip injury, as they pulled off a 114-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The victory put OKC one step away from completing a playoff sweep.
Holmgren poured in 23 of his 24 points after halftime, igniting the Thunder comeback. "It wasn't pretty," he said. “They hit us first. But we did what we had to do and came away with a win. It was a team mentality. Everybody was saying something when we went into that locker room. Then we came out and we cleaned it up.”
"Everybody's voice holds the same amount of weight."
Chat Holmgren after the Thunder's HUGE comeback win in Game 3
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Morant went down with just over three minutes remaining in the first half, at a point when Memphis held a commanding 67-40 lead. The Grizzlies were still ahead by 26 at the break. Oklahoma City's rally from 29 points back marked the second-largest comeback in NBA playoff history since play-by-play data began in 1996-97. Only the Clippers' 31-point rally against the Warriors on April 15, 2019, ranks higher.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 31 points to lead Oklahoma City, while Jalen Williams chipped in 26. Williams gave the Thunder their first lead of the night by sinking one of two free throws with 1:20 remaining.
"Everybody's voice holds the same amount of weight." continued Holmgren when talking about their motivations for the Thunder's improbable comeback.
Chet Holmgren fueling the Thunder comeback
Through the first two quarters, the Thunder seemed sluggish. They failed to pressure the ball, allowed Memphis to get open looks from all over the floor, and struggled to find any rhythm on offense. While Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams did their best to keep things close, it wasn't nearly enough to counter a Memphis squad led by Scotty Pippen Jr., who exploded for 23 points in the first half.
The third quarter kicked off with OKC going on a 20-7 run, sparked by Chet Holmgren’s hot shooting. He drained three three-pointers, with the final one prompting the Grizzlies to call a timeout to halt the momentum. By that point, the Thunder had trimmed their 26-point halftime deficit down to just 13.
Pippen led the way for Memphis with 28 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 22, but the Grizzlies couldn't hold on as their sizable advantage slipped away after halftime.
Before leaving the game due to injury, Morant tallied 15 points and dished out five assists.
Morant's injury brought to mind Golden State's Jimmy Butler, who took a hard fall on Wednesday. An MRI on Thursday revealed a deep bruise to his glute, leaving his status for Saturday's Game 3 against Houston in question.
Memphis interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said losing Morant—who led the team in both points and assists this season—drained the Grizzlies of their energy and disrupted their ability to run the offense effectively.
Chet Holmgren and the top-seeded Thunder, who dominated Game 1 with a 131-80 win—the fifth-largest blowout in NBA playoff history—didn't grab their first lead in Game 2 until the fourth quarter. Now, they head into Saturday with a chance to finish the series.
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