Chet Holmgren Erupts for 36 Points, Game-Tying Three at Buzzer Against Warriors

The Thunder rookie dazzled as his team continued its hot start to the season.

Since taking him with the No. 2 pick of the 2022 draft, the Thunder have had to settle for seeing flashes of center Chet Holmgren.

There was the tantalizing debut in the Summer League in Las Vegas two years ago. There were the Gonzaga highlights that tided Oklahoma City fans over as they waited for him to return from his Lisfranc injury. This season, there was a 24-point outing here and a seven-block game there.

Finally, on Saturday, Holmgren put it all together in the most revealing showcase of his potential yet.

Against the Warriors, the rookie exploded for 36 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes—a note-perfect complementary performance to teammate and 40-point scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s to say nothing of his clutch three-pointer as time expired.

After outscoring the Thunder by 10 in the second half, Oklahoma City outpointed its adversary 13–6 in overtime to move to 9–4 on the season with a 130–123 victory.