NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 7, 2025

Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City Thunder

Practice Day

Q. Chet, at the start of the season, did you have the feeling that this is the year, the championship year for your team?

CHET HOLMGREN: At the beginning of the season, there's so many things to focus on that that's not one of the things that comes to mind. We have to focus on how to be better and ready for Game 1 of the regular season, and after every single game, the focus switches to the next game.

So we're not thinking that far ahead.

Q. When you watched the film, where do you feel like you could have been better?

CHET HOLMGREN: I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim. Obviously it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game. Puts a magnifying glass on every single instance in the game. Everybody was feeling that on where they can be better. We have to continue to try to clean those up as the series goes on. The Pacers are going to try to be better each game, so we have to try to do the same.

Q. Did you feel like you were trying to go too quick on those players inside, or was it something else?

CHET HOLMGREN: I'd say on some of them, too quick. On the ones that involved help side, just slowing down and understanding where they are is a big thing. Some of the one-on-one plays, I wouldn't say so much slowing down as I'd say kind of just being a little bit more under control, I guess. There's different ways to do that. I just got to continue to try to do that.

Above everything else, just worrying more about impacting the game in all of the facets and just try to let that take care of itself. If you just focus on that, you're going to start putting a lot more pressure on that and you're not going to be focused on everything else that's important, too.

Q. You played one season with Andrew Nembhard at Gonzaga. What did you appreciate about him as a teammate, and anything surprise you in Game 1 based on your background with him?

CHET HOLMGREN: Yes, obviously he's my guy, great dude. I have a lot of compliments for him as a basketball player and a person. But we're playing against him right now, so I'm going to hold on to all those.

Q. You guys did a lot of double big through the playoffs and didn't in Game 1. How do you see this matchup and the ability for you guys to go double big at times?

CHET HOLMGREN: At the end of the day, us as players, our responsibility is to be ready to execute no matter what the coaches ask us to do out there. In Game 1, that was to play more single big. Whether the coaches ask us to do that or ask the team to go small or ask the team to go double big, we have to be ready to do that and execute it, and that's what we have to focus on.

Q. How do you see the challenge of facing them with two bigs if you decide to go that way?

CHET HOLMGREN: There's trade-offs, just like anything else. At the end of the day, they are a team that plays with pace, so you have to match that in both directions. They are a team that moves the ball and plays off the catch really well. So, again, you have to match that and understand what each player is trying to do and understand what they are trying to do as a team.

It doesn't really change whether we are single big or double big; what you have to execute stays pretty much the same.

Q. Do you feel the pressure that comes with a must-win situation now in Game 2?

CHET HOLMGREN: I wouldn't say it's any different than Game 1. Game 1 was a must-win and we didn't win. Now we flip to Game 2 and it's a must-win again. We've been in must-win situations in this playoff run, and honestly in the playoffs, every game feels like a must-win. You're not saving anything in the tank for any games down the line. You kind of have to lay it all out there.