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Chet Holmgren of the OKC Thunder hit a buzzer-beating jump shot from three to end the first quarter of Game 2 of their series against the Dallas Mavericks. Holmgren has been an important player for the Thunder all season, especially on the defensive end.
However, Holmgren's offense has been valuable in the postseason. He's averaging 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 blocks per game. He's shooting 47.6% from the field, 32.1% from beyond the arc and 73.3% from the charity stripe.
With 1.4 seconds left in the first quarter, Jaylin Williams threw a pass from the opposite end of the court. Holmgren looked like a lanky wide receiver and caught the ball before turning around and hitting the buzzer-beating 3-point shot to trim the Mavs' lead to 36-33.
Chet Holmgren not bothered by physicality in NBA playoffs
One of the things Chet Holmgren gets criticized about is his frame and size. Some think that he's too skinny to defend bigger players or even take bumps from centers around the league.
However, Holmgren has proven them wrong by playing all 82 games for the OKC Thunder in his first season in the league. He missed his first year due to a foot injury but made his debut campaign a memorable one.
The Thunder had the best record in the West, and some critics thought that the physicality in the playoffs would affect Holmgren. But that's not the case, according to the Gonzaga product:
"It's been pretty consistent since like All-Star Break. It has been a very physical game. Refs have been letting us play a lot. It changes within the game sometimes too, so you never truly know.
"But at this point in the season we have a pretty good idea of how it goes," Holmgren said after Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks [H/T Sports Illustrated]
Chet Holmgren second in Rookie of the Year voting
Chet Holmgren was eligible to win the Rookie of the Year this season despite being drafted in 2022. Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 NBA season due to a foot injury, so he's still a rookie technically.
In his first season with the OKC Thunder, Holmgren averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.9 blocks per game. He helped the Thunder finish No. 1 in the Western Conference standings, and the team is in the Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Holmgren came in second in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Wembanyama won the award unanimously, with Holmgren getting 98 of 99 second-place votes. Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandin Podziemski rounded out the top-five.
