Summer League notes: Chet Holmgren scores 25 points, blocks 5 shots in dominant Summer League performance

LAS VEGAS – Soaring alley oops. Loud rejections. Smooth mid-range jump shots.

Chet Holmgren’s second game at 2023 NBA Summer League had all of it as the former Gonzaga center produced another mammoth stat line, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 98-87 win over an Indiana Pacers team that was missing a few key players, including former Zags teammate Andrew Nembhard.

Holmgren poured in 25 points – his highest total in nine career Las Vegas/Salt Lake Summer League games – and fell just short of a double-double, hauling down nine rebounds to go with five blocked shots, two assists and four turnovers.

He finished 9 of 15 from the field, 0 of 2 from the 3-point line and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

“Just getting a feel out there, not only for myself but also for my teammates,” Holmgren said. “They’re getting a feel for how to play with me and vice versa, which is great, and I only see it continue to build from here on out and continue to get kind of the feel for the game back. Some of the touch on some of these shots and we’re only getting better.”

Holmgren played 30 minutes against Indiana after resting Tuesday during Oklahoma City’s 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets.

There was a stark difference when Holmgren was on the court and off it. For the second time in Vegas he posted the game’s best plus/minus, finishing plus-18 in his 30 minutes. Comparatively, Oklahoma City’s other four starters were plus-11 (Jared Butler), plus-5 (Ousmane Dieng), minus-2 (Cason Wallace) and minus-4 (Jaylin Williams).

Like usual, Holmgren was a factor in the paint on defense, pinning a transition layup from Ben Sheppard off the backboard late in the first quarter to set up a breakaway opportunity for Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on the other end.

“He kind of leads the charge on that end of the floor for us defensively,” Oklahoma City Summer League coach Kameron Woods said. “He does it with his rim protection, which is loud. I think he’s done a nice job of also leading us with his voice. As he starts to get more comfortable on that end of the floor, really commanding things on that side of the ball.”

Holmgren also interrupted a two-handed dunk from Jarace Walker in the third quarter, recovering into the paint to knock the ball out of the forward’s grasp inches away from the rim.

“We know we have Chet behind us, so we can put a lot of pressure and we’ve got him back at the rim,” Dieng said. “So yeah, it’s really easy.”

Although Holmgren’s perimeter-shooting struggles continued – he’s just 1 of 11 from the 3-point line in four Summer League games – the 7-foot-1 center had success in the dunker’s spot, rolling to the basket for a pair of alley oops and producing two other dunks in his 30 minutes on the floor.

“We’re getting each other open, and we know the ball’s going to come back,” Holmgren said. “Nobody out there really has a problem making that extra pass because we all kind of share with each other that it’s going to come back around. Huge props for everybody being unselfish tonight and helping put each other in good positions.”

With two Summer League games remaining, there’s a good chance Oklahoma City will shut down Holmgren and other key players who could figure into the team’s rotation this season.

Indiana shut down Nembhard, a staple in the Pacers’ starting lineup, after only two Summer League games. Nembhard sat next to fellow 2022 draft pick Bennedict Mathurin, who’s also being held out of Indiana’s remaining games, and the former Gonzaga point guard took part in a mid-game NBA TV interview in the second quarter.

Strawther stars

The Denver Nuggets fell short in Wednesday’s nightcap at COX Pavilion, but Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther was one of the players who helped lead a spirited second-half comeback in a 96-91 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Coming off a poor shooting performance in Denver’s second Summer League game two nights earlier against the Atlanta Hawks, Strawther scored a game-high 21 points on 7 of 17 from the field, 3 of 11 from the 3-point line and 4 of 6 from the free throw line.

Denver trailed by as many as 26 points in the second quarter but mounted a comeback after halftime and trimmed the deficit to seven points with 53 seconds remaining. The result was already in hand when Strawther stepped up to bank in a 29-foot 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded. Strawther’s highlight reel included a one-handed transition dunk midway through the fourth quarter.

“He plays hard, he gets after it,” Nuggets Summer League coach John Beckett said. “I know he’s not making shots right now, but that hasn’t affected his effort level out there. He’s still trying but not turning down shots. When he has an open 3, he’s still taking it and we want him to take it.

“We know he’s an elite shooter, and he will make them eventually.”

Moments after the game ended, Strawther shared a hug with close friend and former Gonzaga teammate Jalen Suggs, who took in the game from a courtside seat.

Strawther also had three rebounds and finished plus-6 while logging a game-high 33 minutes.

Elsewhere…

• Mouhamed Gueye was in Atlanta’s starting lineup for the third time in Vegas. The former Washington State forward struggled from the field making just 2 of 8 shots but found himself at the free-throw line plenty. Gueye was 7 of 7 from the stripe and scored 11 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
• Former Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi played just under 10 minutes off the bench in Memphis’ 83-74 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Ayayi didn’t attempt a shot and was scoreless while grabbing two rebounds and dishing out one assist.
• Former Shadle Park and Eastern Washington standout Tanner Groves had his third straight DNP (did not play) in Oklahoma City’s win over Indiana.