Chet Holmgren broke out in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and finished with his fourth 30-point game to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a victory over the Utah Jazz.
Holmgren produced 35 points, 14 rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and one assist in the 119-107 victory. He went 12 of 18 from the field in 31 minutes, and the Thunder improved to a Western Conference-best 48-20 with the win.
The former second choice became the second recruit have at least four 30-point games (Victor Wembanyama, 6). He recorded his second game with 30 points and 10 rebounds and is the Thunder’s only rookie to reach this mark in a match.
“We worked hard as a team to make sure we found him on a good run,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s such a vertical threat, not only because you can throw it to him, but also because you can throw it to him on the floor, and he’s skilled enough to catch and not travel or use a dribble and move to get in . Cart. It always depends on how you write it. He played within himself tonight.
Never get tired of this @jdubwttp And @ChetHolmgren connect ???? pic.twitter.com/l3G1QgqcNX
– OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 21, 2024
Holmgren recorded 18 points in the fourth quarter alone as the Thunder outscored the Jazz 37-27 down the stretch. It was the second time he scored at least 18 points in a quarter after scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter on February 25.
The 7-footer hit all six of his shot attempts from the field in the final period, including three emphatic dunks. He did most of his work through contact after getting six trips to the free throw line.
He was happy with the way the team played late to win.
We continued to play together. I feel like we did a good job throughout the game. Some shots didn’t fall from the outside, but we did a good job of saying we’re a team that’s going to win when we shoot and finding other ways to open the game and come out on top at the end .
Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points, eight rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks on 38.9 percent shooting from 3-point range in 68 games. He has played in every game so far for the Thunder and ranks second in points, rebounds and blocks among rookies.
He has played a vital role with the Thunder this season and is one of the main reasons why the team is third in offense and fifth in defense. He is one of the top recruits and his efforts on Wednesday showed why he projects to have a bright future in OKC.
