NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 11, 2025

Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City Thunder

Game 3: Postgame

Indiana Pacers 116, Oklahoma City 107

Q. Chet, just felt like too many mistakes. Obviously fourth quarter didn't close the way you would want. What did you feel like was lacking tonight?

CHET HOLMGREN: I wouldn't even say there's a feeling of something being lacking. There's a lot of areas we can clean up. Myself personally, everybody down the roster that got in tonight, can look in the mirror and see where they can be better. Everybody who stepped out there could be better. Starts with me. I got to be better.

There's a couple opportunities that we gave away on the inbounds, just taking care of the ball. You could look at every single breakdown and see an opportunity to be better.

We got to understand that no game is going to be perfect. Next game is not going to be perfect. But we have to watch the film and see what we can do to put ourselves in a better position to win the game.

Q. The fourth quarter in particular you scored 18 points, missed nine of your last 10 shots. What happened to you down the stretch?

CHET HOLMGREN: I'm going to have to go back and watch the film on that one. I don't want to say something without being able to see the whole picture.

But obviously to win games of this magnitude, at this level, we have to be better than the stat you just threw out there. We need to close games, close quarters, close possessions. It doesn't just come down to the end of the game. We got to figure out how to put ourselves in a better position for the whole 48 minutes.

Q. You scored 13 in the first quarter, struggled after that. What was working so well for you in the first quarter and went awry after that?

CHET HOLMGREN: I think I was playing aggressive. I kind of got more to two feet when I got in the painted area. The plays that didn't go my way, I felt like I got a little sped up at times. I got a little bit out of control in the paint, which is again another one of the areas I need to clean up and be better for the next game. I think there's more than just that. I got to watch the film and improve.

Q. We just asked Alex in the locker room if this feels at all similar to the way the Denver series unfolded. He was saying this is probably more frustrating because it is the Finals. What is the most frustrating part about the way this has unfolded? Do you feel there are similarities to the Denver series?

CHET HOLMGREN: I wouldn't say that now is the time for emotions to be thinking about how you're feeling, emotional this, emotional that. You kind of have to cut that out and just kind of look at the substance of what it is.

We have a great opportunity here. The great thing is we have another game coming up, Game 4. We can't be thinking about frustration or anything. No matter how good it's going, how bad it's going, the focus can't be on your emotions. It has to be on what we're trying to accomplish, the task at hand.