Thunder Top Magic Behind Chet Holmgren's Double Double
Oklahoma City came out of the gates firing on Monday night in Vegas.
The Thunder held on late in an exciting back-and-forth battle, notching an 84-81 win over the Orlando Magic. Chet Holmgren led the Thunder in multiple categories, pouring in 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Josh Giddey chipped in with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Orlando was without three starters, including RJ Hampton and No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic opted to sit Banchero for the remainder of summer league to open up potential opportunities for other players on the team. It’s safe to say they liked what they saw from the Duke star.
The Thunder opened the game on a 27-to-7 run that included plenty of fireworks. The Giddey to Holmgren connection started early.
OKC outscored the Magic 31-14 in the first quarter. Aaron Wiggins had an efficient quarter, adding seven points and a triple. His veteran leadership has been a steady hand for the Thunder in Vegas.
In the second quarter, however, the Thunder cooled off significantly. It was a sloppy all-around frame centered around turnovers and missed shots.
After taking a 47-38 lead into halftime, the Thunder steadied the ship in the third quarter. Oklahoma City took better care of the ball and played a very stable style of basketball. Holmgren connected on several finishes around the rim including an impossible alley-oop lob finish.
Holmgren and Giddey played staggered minutes down the stretch until late in the fourth quarter. The Thunder struggled to slow down Tommy Kuhse in the final frame as his high IQ plays allowed the Magic to come all the way back.
The Thunder were able hold on at the end thanks to late stops on the defensive side of the ball. The Magic missed three potential game-tying shots in the final seconds of the game, but the last 3-point miss fell into Holmgren’s hand to secure the double-double and the win.
The duo of Holmgren and Giddey showed an exciting peek into the future for Thunder fans tonight. Oklahoma City returns to the floor Wednesday night to take on the Kings.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
