Thunder not worried about Holmgren after Game 1 finish
Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was forced to shoulder the blame for his team's Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Holmgren missed two free throws late in the contest, which led to Aaron Gordon's game-winning three. Despite the mishap, Holmgren still has the belief of his coach and teammates.
"He's the last guy I'm worried about. As a competitor, the last guy," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said, according to The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry. "From the way that he's handled the adversity of the injuries and having to work his way all the way back from that, (it's) his combination of hunger and drive but also consistent work to get himself back. ... The guy's just a monster competitor."
All-Star forward Jalen Williams believes the Thunder should share responsibility for the Game 1 collapse and that Holmgren's frustrating finish shouldn't be focused on.
"(The free throws) would have been nice, but at the same time, that's not why we win or lose the game," Williams said. "If they don't make that three, we win the game. If I make two free throws early, what's the score of the game? There are so many factors that factor into the game. That's not why we lost the game. Obviously it sucks, but it's good for character development. He'll be better for it later down the road."
The Thunder's Game 1 defeat was their first loss of the postseason after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1. Daigneault now expects his team to rally as it faces its first significant challenge.
"This is where we have a great opportunity and challenge with every single adversity we face as a team," Daigneault said. "If a guy's disappointed in how he plays, this is a particular group that wraps their arms around that guy. And I'm not even speaking specific to (Holmgren); I'm saying these guys have a track record of doing that."
Holmgren contributed 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a game-high four blocks in the series opener.
"Just got to move on," Thunder guard Lu Dort said. "Chet (did) a lot of stuff for us in that game for us to be there and at that position that we were in toward the end of the game."
The Thunder will look to bounce back and tie the series in Game 2 on Wednesday.