OKLAHOMA CITY — Mark Daigneault refused to crowd Chet Holmgren following his difficult finish to Game 1 Monday night against the Denver Nuggets. The next day, the Thunder coach had what he deemed a personal conversation with his second-year big man but declined to publicly reveal details.
After Holmgren missed two critical free throws that would have put the Thunder ahead by three with 9.5 seconds remaining Monday, Daigneault delivered a resounding endorsement Tuesday. The Thunder coach voiced steadfast support for Holmgren and said he has no doubt Holmgren will be able to put Monday night behind him going into Game 2 on Wednesday.
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“He’s the last guy I’m worried about. As a competitor, the last guy,” Daigneault said. “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. He got back way earlier this year. He got back in the earliest timeline that he possibly could have while being safe and responsible. And then as a competitor, the guy’s just a monster competitor.”
Holmgren’s missed foul shots left the door open for Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon to bury the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining. It was the Thunder’s final miscue among a string that came inside the final five minutes.
“They would have been nice, but at the same time, that’s not why we win or lose the game,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said of the missed free throws. “If they don’t make that 3, 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.”
Holmgren was unavailable to the media after the game and did not speak to reporters following Tuesday’s practice. But one by one, from Daigneault down, the Thunder saw to it that Holmgren knew Monday’s ending wasn’t on him.
“That’s why you have a team,” Daigneault said. “This is where we have a great opportunity and challenge with every single adversity we face as a team. 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 (Chet); I’m saying these guys have a track record of doing that.
“They also have a track record of staying highly connected through success, which is as hard or harder. It’s very difficult to stay connected through success, and this is a team that, through successes and through adversities, has become stronger over time. That’s what allows us to be confident and connected coming out of a game that obviously everybody was disappointed in.”
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For Holmgren, a second-year player who’s missed 132 games (including the entire 2022-23 season) due to injuries, Monday’s finish could leave a different mark — the kind that only Holmgren’s next chance at clutch free throws can reveal. Will lingering thoughts of Monday’s misses emerge at Holmgren’s next opportunity? Or will he forget about them and confidently sink the next attempts?
“He’s in there for a reason,” Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. “He was in there in Game 3 when he had 25 (points) in the second half when we had the comeback against Memphis. And he was in there late in the game in Game 4 against Memphis to close out that series. We trust him. We believe in him. There’s a reason that Mark puts him out there, and I felt confident when he caught the ball (on the inbounds pass) to go shoot the free throws.”
Holmgren’s final 10 seconds overshadowed much of he and the Thunder did well in Game 1. Even on an off shooting night, Holmgren contributed across the board with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocked shots. Daigneault also praised Holmgren’s ability to contend with Nikola Jokić, although the Nuggets star — two inches shorter but roughly 75 pounds heavier — posted 42 points with 22 rebounds and six assists on Monday.
“Chet does a nice job on him. He’s guarded him in the past. His length can be effective on him,” Daigneault said. “Obviously, it’s a length-versus-strength battle, but we feel pretty good about that one.”
Holmgren has made his presence felt throughout the Thunder’s first five games this postseason. He just happened to be the face of the Thunder’s crunch-time woes Monday. Not only were Holmgren’s missed free throws costly, but he also was the defender whose close-out on Gordon proved futile on the game-deciding basket.
AARON GORDON 3 FOR THE WIN!!!@nuggets take Game 1 in a THRILLER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fxV2ReRPZA
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025
“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.”
It’s not just Holmgren who must respond. After allowing the Nuggets to steal home-court advantage, all the pressure is on the Thunder to salvage a home win in Game 2.
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“It should be good. It should be fun,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’re going to find out what we’re made of, what we’re really made of. We couldn’t expect it to be smooth sailing this whole journey. No journey in life is, and we know that. (Game 1 was) a bump in the road, unexpected. No one expects to lose, especially that way, but it’s the game of life. It’s about how you respond to getting knocked down, and that’s what we’ve got to do next game.”
(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
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