<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-why-shai-gilgeous-alexander-chet-holmgren-excited-nba-cup-loss-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren are ‘excited’ about NBA Cup loss to Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunders-Chet-Holmgren-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren are ‘excited’ about NBA Cup loss to Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-14T11:00:32-08:00">December 14th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-14T11:00:32-08:00">December 14th, 11:00am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren put the NBA Cup elimination game into perspective after their two-point loss (111-109). Coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-how-mark-daigneault-credited-spurs-beyond-victor-wembanyama">Mark Daigneault credited Wembanyama and the Spurs’ effort</a>, outplaying the Thunder after the opening frame, where three starters and Victor scored 22+ points.</p><p>After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander he’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47301200/thunder-shrug-loss-spurs-excited-challenge" rel="noopener">eager to learn from the loss</a>, and believes his teammates look at the defeat through a similar lens, as a way for the Thunder to improve, he said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon</p><p>“Personally, I think it’s exciting,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s easier to learn when you don’t feel the way you want to feel. It stings a little bit more.</p><p>“We’ll also see these guys [twice in the next five] games. So, it will be a good challenge. Kind of like an automatic test, almost like in school. You fail the test, you get to retest a couple days later. That’s what it will probably feel like. Losing is where you find growth and where you really get better.”</p><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will face the Spurs two more times between now and Christmas Day, including a road game on December 23.</p><p>“We can’t be spoiled,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “We can’t think we’re above anything. Us, along with every team in the league, if you show up on a night and don’t do the necessary thing to win, you probably won’t win, no matter how talented or no matter what your record looks like. That was the case for us tonight.”</p><p>Chet Holmgren says he’s “eager and excited” to watch the film from the loss and figure out how to address flaws that were exposed by the Spurs. It’s a teachable moment for the defending champion.</p><h2><b>Mark Daigneault on Victor Wembanyama, Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunder-coach-Mark-Daigneault.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault reacted to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ two-point win that handed the defending champions its second loss of the season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-does-all-insane-block-bucket-nba-cup-combo">Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29 points led the Thunder</a>.</p><p>After the loss, Daigneault <a href="https://x.com/Justintohoops/status/2000075983173591190" rel="noopener">talked about</a> Wembanyama and the Spurs’ overall fight throughout the game.</p><p>“Huge, obviously. He has great two-way impact,” Daigneault said. “Obviously, a rim deterrent. He’s a problem on the glass and cerainly was early. Then, he caught his rhythm offensively, make some really tough shots down the stretch. So, credit to him and them. For stretches of the game, though, they played really well without him, too. I didn’t think it was isolated to them.</p><p>“That was a great team win for them — they won as a team. A lot of their guys played well, but he certainly had an impact on the game.”</p><p>The Thunder will host the Clippers on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren are ‘excited’ about NBA Cup loss to Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-dirk-nowitzki-calls-out-victor-wembanyama-chet-holmgren-comment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dirk Nowitzki calls out Victor Wembanyama’s ‘dismissive’ Chet Holmgren comment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Spurs-All-Star-Victor-Wembanyama-Thunder-s-Chet-Holmgren-2.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dirk Nowitzki calls out Victor Wembanyama’s ‘dismissive’ Chet Holmgren comment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-14T09:10:57-08:00">December 14th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-14T09:10:57-08:00">December 14th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder were in a battle in the NBA Cup semifinals, and it was the former who was able to advance with a win. It was a game between two of the best teams in the Western Conference, and the Spurs got some help in this matchup as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-watch-victor-wembanyama-score-1st-bucket-back-injury-nba-cup">Victor Wembanyama returned</a> after missing the past few weeks due to injury.</p><p>Before the game, an interview aired which featured Wembanyama, and he was asked about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-sidesteps-victor-wembanyama-rivalry-win-over-spurs">the rivalry with Chet Holmgren</a>, who have went to battle a few times in the past few years. Instead of giving props to Holmgren, Wembanyama directed his attention to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.</p><p>“The MVP is on that court, he’s our main focus. Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP,” Wembanyama said.</p><p>That led to many people thinking that Wembanyama was taking shots at Holmgren, which is very understandable, and that he was downplaying what the Thunder center could do.</p><p>Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, was not very fond of Wembanyama’s comments and <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/2000024419956351373?s=20" rel="noopener">had something to say</a> during the broadcast after the interview aired.</p><p>“I do want to say, I didn’t love his answer about Chet Holmgren,” Nowitzki said. “I wish he would’ve given him a little bit of credit. You can say, ‘Hey, they have the MVP. Shai’s incredible, but Chet’s gotten better every year. He’s a champ. I want to play hard against them.’ I didn’t love that answer. To me, it’s too swaggy, too dismissive of Chet.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dirk:</p><p>"I didn't love (Wemby's) answer about Chet. I wish he would've given him a little credit. To me it's too swaggy, too dismissive" <a href="https://t.co/gGnLu3bXOZ">https://t.co/gGnLu3bXOZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/eoRKK8OtGW">pic.twitter.com/eoRKK8OtGW</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/2000024419956351373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That is also a way to look at Wembanyama’s comments, and it’s quite uncertain if he meant it in that context. It wouldn’t be surprising if he did, because Wembanyama has shown that he is a competitor and doesn’t back down from anybody.</p><p>These two will have battles for years and probably decades to come, and it will be interesting to see what comes out of those duels.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dirk Nowitzki calls out Victor Wembanyama’s ‘dismissive’ Chet Holmgren comment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-showcases-athletic-gifts-fastbreak-slam');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Chet Holmgren showcases athletic gifts with fastbreak slam');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chet-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Chet Holmgren showcases athletic gifts with fastbreak slam</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-13T21:36:36-08:00">December 13th, 9:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-13T21:36:36-08:00">December 13th, 9:36pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chet Holmgren showed off his athleticism during a fast break highlight in the Oklahoma City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/spurs-vs-thunder-2025-nba-cup-semifinals-prediction-odds-pick">Thunder’s NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the San Antonio Spurs</a> on Saturday night.</p><p>Holmgren is going through the fourth season of his career, all with the Thunder. He is making significant strides as one of the best young centers in the league, especially as a two-way player.</p><p>Holmgren’s highlight against San Antonio took place midway through the second quarter. Oklahoma City began a transition as Alex Caruso handled the ball. He dished the pass to a running Holmgren, who leapt in the air to <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/2000044322834772104" rel="noopener">throw down the one-handed dunk</a> in smooth fashion.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chet Holmgren runs to the rim for the MASSIVE slam 😤</p><p><a href="https://t.co/Bv5SbbWtyr">pic.twitter.com/Bv5SbbWtyr</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/2000044322834772104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Chet Holmgren, Thunder played against Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Chet-Holmgren-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a great highlight for Chet Holmgren to have, but despite his efforts, the Thunder saw their 16-game win streak end after losing 111-109 to the Spurs.</p><p>Oklahoma City had a strong start to the game, taking a 31-20 lead after the first quarter. It wasn’t the same after that as San Antonio fired back with a solid second quarter and took control of the momentum in key moments of the fourth quarter.</p><p>Perimeter shooting made the difference in this matchup. The Spurs prevailed in this category by making 13 3-pointers on a 31% success clip. It wasn’t the same for the Thunder as they knocked down nine triples at a 24% rate.</p><p>Five players scored in double-digits for Oklahoma City in the loss, including Holmgren. He finished with a stat line of 17 points, seven rebounds, and a block. He shot 3-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a solid night with 29 points and five assists, Jalen Williams came next with 17 points and seven rebounds, Alex Caruso put up 11 points and eight rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein provided 10 points and eight rebounds.</p><p>Oklahoma City fell to a 24-2 record on the season but remain at the top of the Western Conference standings. They are five games above the Denver Nuggets and 5.5 games above the Spurs.</p><p>The Thunder will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home. They host the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren showcases athletic gifts with fastbreak slam

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-why-chet-holmgren-excited-face-victor-wembanyama-spurs-nba-cup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Thunder’s Chet Holmgren is excited to face Victor Wembanyama, Spurs in NBA Cup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunders-Chet-Holmgren-Spurs-Victor-Wembanyama.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Thunder’s Chet Holmgren is excited to face Victor Wembanyama, Spurs in NBA Cup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T18:53:05-08:00">December 12th, 6:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T18:53:05-08:00">December 12th, 6:53pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After losing the NBA Cup final to the Milwaukee Bucks without Chet Holmgren last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the semifinals to take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas. All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-reveals-nba-cup-hunter-mentality">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discussed the Thunder’s hunter mentality</a> as defending champions this season, which hasn’t faltered amid a near-perfect start through 2025-26’s first 25 games.</p><p>The Spurs, who’ve been without Wembanyama since November 15, are expected to have the towering All-Star center back to take on the Thunder. Holmgren explained <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfg31LFkiA&amp;t=284s" rel="noopener">why he’s excited</a> to take on Wembanyama and the Spurs.</p><p>“We wanna play against really good teams that’s fully healthy with all their best players,” Holmgren said. “They’re a great team already, and to get him back is only going to make them better. So, I’m excited.”</p><p>The Spurs have won four of their last five games, including a 132-119 NBA Cup quarterfinal win against the Los Angeles Lakers without Victor Wembanyama.</p><p>“The Spurs are a great young team,” Holmgren added. “They’re hungry. They’re playing right now. You add Victor to that, and it only makes them better. So, we’re excited to play against them. I’m sure they’re excited to play against us, and I think it should be a good game.”</p><p>The Spurs (17-7) are now tied with the Lakers for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference.</p><h2><b>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals NBA Cup ‘hunters mentality’</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunders-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-why-mark-daigneault-isnt-focused-16-game-win-streak">Thunder extended its winning streak to 16 straight</a> in Wednesday’s 138-89 NBA Cup quarterfinal victory against the Suns. Ahead of facing the Suprs, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwjF87Fnsq0" rel="noopener">discussed his team’s approach</a> this season and how it’s led to the league’s best 24-1 record.</p><p>“We go out there with a hunter’s mentality ourselves, and honestly, we go out there to better ourselves,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’m sure you guys have heard the stories about some of my teammates competing against each other during the games to get steals, and things like that — that’s where our minds is. We’re trying to be a better version of ourselves every night we go out there. We like to hunt in that form.</p><p>“If we didn’t get better tonight, then we wasted an opportunity. That’s kind of how we see it.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Thunder’s Chet Holmgren is excited to face Victor Wembanyama, Spurs in NBA Cup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-grayson-allen-pleads-innocence-after-ejection-cheap-shot-chet-holmgren');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Grayson Allen pleads innocence after ejection for cheap shot on Chet Holmgren');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Allen-drives.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Suns’ Grayson Allen pleads innocence after ejection for cheap shot on Chet Holmgren</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T09:10:32-08:00">December 11th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T09:10:32-08:00">December 11th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday evening, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-surprising-take-grayson-allen-flagrant-2-foul">Phoenix Suns were eliminated</a> from the NBA Cup tournament with a blowout 49-point loss at the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-doesnt-want-blow-grayson-allen-latest-dirty-incident"> hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> on the road. Playing without Devin Booker, the Suns knew some of their unsung players would have to step up, and unfortunately, none of them did, as the team finished with just 89 points on the game.</p><p>One controversial moment occurred in this game when shooting guard Grayson Allen found himself ejected after a hard collision with Thunder big man Chet Holmgren.</p><p>After the game, Allen <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47272939/suns-grayson-allen-ejected-shoving-thunder-holmgren" rel="noopener">spoke on the incident.</a></p><p>“Felt like I gave a good foul within the physicality of the game and what was going on both ends, especially with the bumps on screens, some of the hits on block-outs that were happening,” said Allen, per the Associated Press, via ESPN.</p><p>Thunder wing Jalen Williams also spoke on how the incident motivated his team.</p><p>“It just added more juice to the game,” Williams said. “The fans were into it a little bit more, so naturally, you’re playing a little harder. So it was kind of a good thing, to be honest. We started playing the way we usually play. A little more amped up.”</p><p>Accusations of dirty play have followed Allen throughout his career dating back to his time with the Duke Blue Devils, although it has been several years since he has been at the center of a controversy.</p><p>The foul on Holmgren wouldn’t seem to rise nearly to the level of some of his previous incidents, so it’s unlikely that the fallout from this one will be too severe.</p><p>In any case, the Suns now have a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, the loser on the other side of the Western Conference NBA Cup tournament bracket, on Sunday evening at home at 8:00 pm ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Grayson Allen pleads innocence after ejection for cheap shot on Chet Holmgren

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-surprising-take-grayson-allen-flagrant-2-foul');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder forward Chet Holmgren’s surprising take on Grayson Allen’s Flagrant-2 foul');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunder-center-Chet-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder forward Chet Holmgren’s surprising take on Grayson Allen’s Flagrant-2 foul</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:49-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:49-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — While facing a 37-point deficit in the third quarter of a 138-89 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexanders-face-amid-near-all-out-brawl-sums-it-all-up">Grayson Allen committed a Flagrant-2 foul on Chet Holmgren</a>. Allen fought through Holmgren’s screen with an elbow across the chest that sent Chet to the ground. Players from both teams had to be separated before the officials reviewed the play.</p><p>After the Thunder won, Holmgren <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Sway/status/1998961404360188339" rel="noopener">reacted to</a> Allen’s dirty play during his postgame media availability.</p><p>“All five of us were right there. I just think when two really good teams are going at it, being physical, plays happen,” Holmgren said. “I think it was officiated correctly. But it happened. I moved on, kept trying to play a basketball game.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chet Holmgren’s reacts to Grayson Allen’s Flagrant-2 in Thunder’s win against the Suns: <a href="https://t.co/jcf6MLEa4y">pic.twitter.com/jcf6MLEa4y</a></p><p>— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Sway/status/1998961404360188339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Thunder handed the Suns one of their worst losses of the season while advancing to the NBA Cup semifinals, where it will face the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas on Saturday. Holmgren finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from deep, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two assists.</p><p>Allen exited the game with 10 points, four assists, and one steal.</p><p>“I thought the refs handled the situation tonight well,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. “Those things can get a little squirly from time to time if the refs don’t handle it with a firm hand. I thought they handled it appropriately tonight.”</p><h2><b>Jalen Williams on Grayson Allen’s flagrant foul in Thunder win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunder-All-Star-Jalen-Williams-Chet-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-doesnt-want-blow-grayson-allen-latest-dirty-incident">Jalen Williams had words for Grayson Allen’s ejection</a> during his postgame media availability. For Williams, Allen’s frustration reached a boiling point.</p><p>“We’re up 40. I think something happened the play before. So, there was probably some frustration there,” Williams said. “Just making sure I had Chet’s back and that’s about it. I don’t know. He’s kind of done it his whole career. So, I feel him. Just made sure I had my teammates and just go from there. It’s not anything really to be blown up. As bad as I want it to be, something that’s blown up, it’s the NBA. Nobody really fights anyway.”</p><p>The Thunder extended its franchise-record winning streak to 16, improving to 24-1 and tying the 2015-16 Warriors for the best start through 25 games in NBA history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder forward Chet Holmgren’s surprising take on Grayson Allen’s Flagrant-2 foul

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-jalen-williams-giddy-over-reporters-att-commercial-with-sga');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams giddy over reporter’s new AT&T commercial with SGA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Williams-and-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams giddy over reporter’s new AT&amp;T commercial with SGA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T08:38:07-08:00">December 11th, 8:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T08:54:04-08:00">December 11th, 8:54am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday evening, the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-why-mark-daigneault-isnt-focused-16-game-win-streak"> Oklahoma City Thunder punched their ticket</a> to the final four of the NBA Cup tournament with a 49-point win <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-nba-history-nba-cup-suns-blowout">over the Phoenix Suns</a> in the quarterfinal round. The Thunder’s historically dominant net rating took another major uptick with this win, which sends the Thunder to Las Vegas for the second year in a row to compete for the tournament crown.</p><p>After games this season, the Thunder have been known to conduct group interviews on the court with sideline reporter Nick Gallo, who recently appeared in an AT&amp;T commercial with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On Wednesday, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams made sure to congratulate Gallo on his <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/1999032284012515406" rel="noopener">high-profile appearance.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams give a shoutout to Nick Gallo for his AT&amp;T commercial <a href="https://t.co/g2PsHII3bO">https://t.co/g2PsHII3bO</a> <a href="https://t.co/NBHDRkoOoi">pic.twitter.com/NBHDRkoOoi</a></p><p>— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuckBuckNBA/status/1999032284012515406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Overall, it was just another example of the infectious joy and camaraderie with which this Thunder team plays, and has played for quite some time.</p><p>The Thunder now sit at 24-1 on the 2025-26 NBA season, tied for the best start in NBA history with the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, and are well on pace to shatter the NBA records for net rating and wins in a single season.</p><p>Of course, Oklahoma City has had a startlingly easy schedule up to this point in the season, not having played some of the better teams in the league and also getting a light slate up to this point in terms of back to backs.</p><p>However, the team is still clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA landscape at this point, and figures to only get better as time goes on and younger players like Ajay Mitchell continue to get more reps.</p><p>In any case, the Thunder now are set for a matchup this weekend in Las Vegas vs the San Antonio Spurs, in what will be a preview of the Christmas Day game between the two teams a couple of weeks after that.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams giddy over reporter’s new AT&T commercial with SGA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-grayson-allen-ejected-hard-foul-okc-chet-holmgren');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Grayson Allen ejected after hard foul on Chet Holmgren');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Grayson-Allen.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Suns’ Grayson Allen ejected after hard foul on Chet Holmgren</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T18:43:02-08:00">December 10th, 6:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T21:54:29-08:00">December 10th, 9:54pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns lost a key member of the rotation after Grayson Allen was ejected in the third quarter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/suns-vs-thunder-2025-nba-cup-quarterfinals-prediction-odds-pick">against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup</a> at Paycom Center on Wednesday.</p><p>Allen shoved Chet Holmgren to the ground as he was trying to set a pick for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Suns guard was assessed a flagrant 2 foul, which instantly <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998940107332792656" rel="noopener">merits an ejection</a>.</p><p>He exited the game with 10 points and four assists in 22 minutes.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Grayson Allen has been ejected from Suns-Thunder after being assessed a flagrant 2 for his hard foul on Chet Holmgren.</p><p>Good or bad ejection? 🤔<a href="https://t.co/nNLT496ZJM">pic.twitter.com/nNLT496ZJM</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998940107332792656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p> </p><p>The Thunder totally demolished the Suns, 138-89, to advance to the semifinals. They await the winner of the quarterfinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>Allen’s ejection only made things more difficult for the Suns, who played without Devin Booker due to a groin injury. The Thunder led by as much as an eye-popping 50 points. That’s not a typo.</p><p>Frustration got the better of the 30-year-old Allen, who has had his fair share of hot-headed moments in the past, even he was still playing at Duke.</p><p>Allen is having another solid campaign in Phoenix, stepping up in the continued absence of Jalen Green, who’s nursing a hamstring injury. Allen was averaging career-highs 16.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals entering the game against Oklahoma City.</p><p>But even his strong play wasn’t enough to slow down the Thunder, who got 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting and eight assists from Gilgeous-Alexander. Holmgren added 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-4 from long range.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-dillon-brooks-message-stopping-lebron-james-lakers">Dillon Brooks led the scoring for the Suns</a> with 16 points. Jordan Goodwin chipped in 15 points off the bench.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Grayson Allen ejected after hard foul on Chet Holmgren

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-shows-red-panda-respect-perfect-gesture');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Chet Holmgren shows Red Panda respect with perfect gesture');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Panda.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Chet Holmgren shows Red Panda respect with perfect gesture</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T04:38:03-08:00">December 8th, 4:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T04:38:03-08:00">December 8th, 4:38am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-tie-franchise-record-after-demolishing-jazz"> Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominance</a> in the NBA with a commanding 131-101 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, but one moment off the court stole hearts just as much as the game itself.</p><p>As halftime concluded, rising star Chet Holmgren was spotted acknowledging Red Panda, the halftime performer, with a respectful dap as she finished her performance.</p><p>The gesture, simple yet meaningful, showcased Holmgren’s character and awareness, drawing praise from fans and teammates alike.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chet Holmgren daps up Red Panda after she finisher her halftime performance 🤝</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/WeCgCvtbn3">pic.twitter.com/WeCgCvtbn3</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1997868571414954145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>On the court, Holmgren led by example, scoring <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810218" rel="noopener">25 points</a> and adding nine rebounds. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-reveals-he-not-fully-healed-wrist-injury">Jalen Williams matched him with 25 points</a> and contributed eight assists, propelling the Thunder to their 23rd win of the season and 15th straight victory.</p><p>Aaron Wiggins added 19 points, and Branden Carlson notched a season-high 13 points as Oklahoma City shot 58% from the field and nailed 21 three-pointers. The Thunder also capitalized on 17 Utah turnovers, turning them into 27 points.</p><p>Holmgren, now averaging 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, has become a key figure in the Thunder’s rapid ascent this season.</p><p>His blend of athleticism, skill, and leadership is complemented by his off-court awareness, as shown in his interaction with Red Panda.</p><p>Fans on social media quickly celebrated the gesture, noting that Holmgren’s respect for the halftime performer reflects a level of maturity rare for a young star.</p><p>The moment provided a humanizing counterpoint to the Thunder’s relentless dominance on the scoreboard.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-ruled-out-jazz-elbow-injury">With Oklahoma City now standing at 23-1</a>, the team looks poised to continue its historic start to the 2025-26 season.</p><p>And while their performance on the court will garner the headlines, it’s moments like Holmgren’s respectful dap that cement his reputation as not just a phenomenal player, but a thoughtful and considerate presence both on and off the floor.</p><p>The Thunder now turn their focus to their next matchup, looking to extend both their winning streak and the culture of respect they’re building as a team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren shows Red Panda respect with perfect gesture

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/why-2025-26-the-promising-season-chet-holmgren-thunder-been-waiting-for');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why 2025-26 is the promising regular season Chet Holmgren, Thunder have been waiting for');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/the-promising-season-Chet-Holmgren-Thunder-have-been-waiting-for-ClutchPoints-%C2%B7-Trending-News.jpg"></figure><h1>Why 2025-26 is the promising regular season Chet Holmgren, Thunder have been waiting for</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-05T11:29:35-08:00">December 5th, 11:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-05T11:37:51-08:00">December 5th, 11:37am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Head coach Mark Daigneault knew that, ten days after he and the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals, starting forward Chet Holmgren was back in the gym, working on his game. The 23-year-old forward wasn’t taking any chances. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunders-chet-holmgren-opens-up-about-brutal-hip-injury-recovery">Holmgren will never forget the darkest days</a> of his career amidst last season’s 50-game absence. Another frustrating setback for the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, who forfeited his rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury.</p><p>With the fear of another significant setback lingering, Holmgren <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47169164/chet-holmgren-ready-show-nba-why-best-yet-come" rel="noopener">didn’t waste much time</a> celebrating after winning Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, stepping directly into his offseason workouts, in less than two weeks, he said, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater.</p><p>“Nothing’s worse for your body than not training,” Holmgren said. “I learned that being on bed rest for six weeks watching my muscle just f****** wash away.”</p><p>With only 132 regular-season games under his belt amid his fourth season with the Thunder, Holmgren is still developing, and it shows. He’s averaging career-highs in points (18.4), field-goal percentage (56.1%), and rebounds (8.0) this season. The 2025-26 campaign is by far his best opportunity to earn his first All-Star nod, and more.</p><h2><b>Chet Holmgren’s hip injury setback in Thunder’s 2024-25 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunder-forward-Chet-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein had never seen someone in such pain on a basketball court as when Chet Holmgren fractured his pelvis in the tenth game of the regular season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-isaiah-hartenstein-praises-offseason-coaching-chet-holmgren-connection">Hartenstein worked out with Holmgren over the summer</a> and reflected on the trajectory he saw his teammate on before another significant setback brought Chet back down to reality.</p><p>“He would’ve been in contention for Defensive Player of the Year,” Hartenstein said. “He had a chance to make an All-Star team. So I think that’s probably another mental factor. You have to go through the what ifs.”</p><p>Amidst last season’s 8-1 start for coach Mark Daigneault and the Thunder, Holmgren scored 29 points in 29 minutes before it all came to a screeching halt.</p><p>“Then boom,” Holmgren said. “Backward. It’s just so disheartening.”</p><p>After spending a week in the hospital, Holmgren was bedridden for three weeks as the Thunder’s regular season carried on without him.</p><p>“You don’t want people to be around you because you’re miserable,” Holmgren said. “You can’t go do anything. You’re not even living, you’re just surviving.</p><p>“That’s something I don’t think fans realize about some of these real f***** up injuries.”</p><p>It was a frustrating three-month recovery process before Holmgren returned to the floor in February. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t waste much time celebrating his first championship. While capturing an NBA title is a goal at the top of most players’ lists, Chet is in a position to qualify for personal accolades he’s yet to earn throughout his injury-riddled career.</p><p>But this year is different. While the Thunder were without Jalen Williams for the first 19 games as defending champions, Holmgren reprised his role as the team’s defensive anchor and took it to new heights. 22 games into the regular season, he’s the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Oklahoma City (103.8) has the best defensive rating and the best record — 21-1 — in the NBA.</p><h2><b>Will 2025-26 be Chet Holmgren’s breakout season for Thunder?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunder-coach-Mark-Daigneault-Thunders-Chet-Holmgren.jpg"><figcaption>DOUG HOKE/THEOKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Chet Holmgren and the Thunder agreed to a five-year, $240.7 million contract extension — an investment in one-third of coach Mark Daigneault’s core, led by the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside All-Star Jalen Williams. Fresh off a title run, the Thunder’s core is in its early to mid-20s and has the best chance to become the NBA’s next dynasty.</p><p>This season, per GeniusIQ, Holmgren has held opponents to 39.9% as the contesting defender, best among the 42 players to contest at least 250 shots, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater noted.</p><p>“He’s always got all that,” Daigneault said. “But then there’s still a ceiling for him because he’s such a young player. He has only played [131] games in his career. So we view him as a guy that is developmental still. And it sounds weird to say that because usually that is associated with guys who haven’t accomplished what he has.”</p><p>However, Holmgren’s very best has yet to come for the defending champion Thunder, eyeing back-to-back titles amid a near-perfect start 22 games into the regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why 2025-26 is the promising regular season Chet Holmgren, Thunder have been waiting for

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-saw-potential-this-role-player-nba-days');   ga('set', 'title', 'Chet Holmgren saw potential in this Thunder role player before his NBA days');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunders-Chet-Holmgren-Ajay-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Chet Holmgren saw potential in this Thunder role player before his NBA days</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-03T13:16:26-08:00">December 3rd, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-03T13:16:26-08:00">December 3rd, 1:16pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After beating the Golden State Warriors 124-112 to extend the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 13-game win streak, starting forward Chet Holmgren reveals he’s seen potential in Ajay Mitchell since before they became teammates. As the defending champion improved to a league-leading 21-1 record, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-winning-every-game-30-sounds-great-here-why-close-games-help">Mitchell helped the Thunder in a close game</a>, starting in place of Lu Dort.</p><p>He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal, as Mitchell’s defense helped keep the Warriors at a distance after Golden State erased a 22-point deficit. After the win, Chet Holmgren discussed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPf3vlcJqbY" rel="noopener">how he first saw</a> Mitchell before the 2024 NBA draft, where Ajay was selected 38th overall in the second round by the Thunder.</p><p>“I’ve been an Ajay fan since before the season last year. And just playing late summer pick-up. And being in the gym and around him, I can tell he’s a hooper — he’s a worker,” Holmgren said. “I’d seen a little bit of him when he was in college, just cause I was doing my pre-draft. A lot of the time, I was working out at the same college he went to. But I was never in the gym first-hand with him until he got here. Unbelievably talented, great kid, as is everybody that’s in the locker room.</p><p>“Great man. I didn’t mean to call him a kid. I’m happy to be able to hoop with him. The crazy part is: he’s only going to continue to get better, too. We have a lot of guys who still have room for improvement — myself included. And I think that’s a great thing,” Holmgren concluded.</p><p>Holmgren added 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 38 points and four assists.</p><h2><b>Ajay Mitchell on Thunder’s close game amid near-perfect start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Thunders-Ajay-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Thunder guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-winning-every-game-30-sounds-great-here-why-close-games-help">Ajay Mitchell loves beating teams by 30 points</a>, he knows that tightly contested games will make his squad even stronger. Mitchell addressed the contrast between the lopsided and nail-biting endings after the Thunder’s 123-115 win against the Blazers.</p><p>“Personally, I’d love to win every game by like 30, if we could, but there’s a lot to learn in close games,” Mitchell said. “And there’s a way to kind of fight through what’s going on, especially when things aren’t going our way. It’s a great opportunity to get better as a team and find a way. So, I think those games are very important for us.”</p><p>Mitchell is averaging 15.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chet Holmgren saw potential in this Thunder role player before his NBA days

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-greens-son-asked-meet-chet-holmgren-thunder-showdown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Draymond Green’s son asked to meet Chet Holmgren after Warriors vs Thunder showdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Draymond-Green_e44d67.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Draymond Green’s son asked to meet Chet Holmgren after Warriors vs Thunder showdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-03T09:11:07-08:00">December 3rd, 9:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-03T09:11:30-08:00">December 3rd, 9:11am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tuesday night’s matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder may not have ended in the Warriors’ favor, but it still produced one of the most wholesome postgame moments of the season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-drops-hell-nah-thunder">Following Golden State’s 124-112 loss</a>, Draymond Green revealed that his son, Draymond Jr., affectionately known as DJ, had just one request after sitting courtside on the Warriors’ bench:</p><p>He wanted to meet Thunder star Chet Holmgren.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Draymond said his son DJ, who was on the Warriors bench tonight, asked him to introduce him to Chet Holmgren after the game 😂 <a href="https://t.co/e6TLocwXsI">pic.twitter.com/e6TLocwXsI</a></p><p>— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) <a href="https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1996119697373478918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“DJ asked if I could introduce him to Chet after the game,” Green shared with a smile. “He loves his game. Kids keep it honest like that. They gravitate to who’s exciting, and Chet’s exciting.”</p><p>Holmgren delivered another strong performance in the win, showcasing the versatility that has Oklahoma City sitting comfortably near the top of the Western Conference.</p><p>His size, shooting touch, and defensive timing have made him one of the league’s most intriguing young stars, and clearly, even the kids of NBA players are paying attention.</p><p>On the floor, the matchup was anything but warm and fuzzy. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810178" rel="noopener">38 points</a>, continuing his MVP-caliber campaign, while Isaiah Joe caught fire late to seal the win.</p><p>For Golden State, Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer continued to shine.</p><p>Spencer finished with 17 points, providing much-needed scoring inside, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-joins-stephen-curry-exclusive-club-during-thunder-game">while Green battled foul trouble but still anchored the defense</a> and kept the Warriors within striking distance.</p><p>After the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-sounds-thunders-74-win-pursuit-major-confession">Green also spoke candidly about Oklahoma City’s sky-high potential</a>, even entertaining the idea of them threatening the Warriors’ historic 73-win season.</p><p>“It’s hard, man,” Green admitted. “But they’re capable. You need everything to go right, but they’re on the right track.”</p><p>The admiration was mutual, at least from DJ.</p><p>As the Warriors continue searching for rhythm and the Thunder surge forward, the moment served as a reminder: rivalries are for players and fanbases, but respect travels across generations.</p><p>And sometimes, it starts with a kid asking for a handshake.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Draymond Green’s son asked to meet Chet Holmgren after Warriors vs Thunder showdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-isaiah-hartenstein-praises-offseason-coaching-chet-holmgren-connection');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein praises offseason coaching for Chet Holmgren connection');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-center-Isaiah-Hartenstein_195cd7.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein praises offseason coaching for Chet Holmgren connection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-28T09:28:43-08:00">November 28th, 9:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-28T09:28:43-08:00">November 28th, 9:28am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein revealed he sat with head coach Mark Daigneault to talk about ways of improving his offense before the starting center joined Chet Holmgren for offseason workouts in California. And while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-isaiah-hartenstein-chet-holmgren-all-star-campaign-white-boy-mic-drop">Hartenstein campaigns for Holmgren’s first All-Star candidacy</a>, he’s off to the best start of his NBA career.</p><p>Hartenstin is averaging 12.2 points at a 67.1% clip, which is the third-highest shooting percentage in the association, 10.7 rebounds, the eighth-highest in the NBA, and 1.3 steals per game this season. After Wednesday’s 113-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hartenstein addressed what’s led to his newfound focus and high-level production.</p><p>“Just being so focused in the process, it’s been amazing. Me and Mark sat down before the season. Just tried to kind of figure out how I can get better, and I think I really bought into what he said,” Hartenstein said. “It’s been helping a lot. Just getting more easier looks. Not just trying to shoot floaters all the time. I think it’s helped my percentage a lot.”</p><p>Hartenstein has been much more assertive offensively, which he says is a byproduct of his offseason workouts with Holmgren and NBA shooting coach Drew Hanlen.</p><p>“Me and Chet have been playing great together. I think us being in LA, with Drew Hanlen, helped a lot,” Hartenstein added. “For me, it’s been great. I think, as a team, in general, we’ve been having a lot of fun. We’ve been so process-focused, knowing that you can’t look too far ahead. You have to be in the present moment. You can’t skip steps, and I think that’s what made us have such a good start.</p><p>“We’re not really looking too far in the Finals or playing in that right now. We know we have to go through certain stages throughout the season to get to where we want to get to.”</p><h2><b>Isaiah Hartenstein says offseason workouts led to impressive start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-center-Isaiah-Hartenstein-2.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/exclusive-how-thunder-center-isaiah-hartenstein-figured-out-2025" rel="noopener">Isaiah Hartenstein is having the best start of his career,</a> as his dad, Florian Hartenstein, told ClutchPoints his son has a lot figured out. For Isaiah, spending time with his teammate, Chet Holmgren, helped in many ways, on and off the court.</p><p>Hartenstein revealed just how significant the time spent with Holmgren and NBA shooting coach Drew Hanlen was for him over the summer.</p><p>“They were big. Just sitting down, talking, how we can get each other easier looks, playing pick up in the offseason. Then, Chet’s just being a better player — he’s been great this year,” Hartenstein said. “He makes my life easy. He makes great reads. He’s been on balance — defensively — he’s been great. I think he’s playing an All-Star season and we just want to keep getting better and better.”</p><p>Hartenstein and the Thunder will host the Suns on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein praises offseason coaching for Chet Holmgren connection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-credits-mark-daigneault-connecting-dagger-3-vs-timberwolves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Chet Holmgren credits Mark Daigneault after connecting on dagger-3 vs. Timberwolves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-forward-Chet-Holmgren_aedfe1.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Chet Holmgren credits Mark Daigneault after connecting on dagger-3 vs. Timberwolves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-27T10:14:38-08:00">November 27th, 10:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-27T10:14:38-08:00">November 27th, 10:14am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — After connecting on a dagger-3 to push the Thunder’s lead to four in the final minute of Wednesday’s 113-105 NBA Cup win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chet Holmgren discussed Mark Daigneault’s influence. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-what-mark-daigneault-wants-better-close-call-timberwolves">Daigneault challenged the Thunder to play better</a> after one of Oklahoma City’s hardest-fought regular-season wins.</p><p>After the win, Holmgren credited Daigneault for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D45DtRzuaG4" rel="noopener">instilling confidence</a> in Chet to take a shot such as the one against the Timberwolves in the final minute of the final frame.</p><p>“Obviously, it was great. It helped us win the game, and that’s what it’s all about,” Holmgren said. “Not everything was going my way the whole night. Just had to stay in it. Coach trusted me to be out there to close the game. So, I just tried to do what I could to help us get the win.”</p><p>Chet Holmgren finished with 12 points on 4-of-12 attempts, including his only three, which made it a two-possession game for the Thunder down the stretch.</p><p>“In the biggest games, you’re going to have to execute down the stretch, and it’s great to see those situations in the regular season,” Holmgren said. “That doesn’t mean you want to let a team hang around. If you can put them away, you wanna do so. But they’re all great experiences for us, and we’ve been in those situations a lot in the past. And we’ll continue to learn from them and get better in those moments.”</p><p>The Thunder improved to 18-1, the league’s best record, and extended its winning streak to 10.</p><h2><b>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder’s approach in NBA Cup win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-All-Star-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-1-3.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn</figcaption></figure><p>After Thunder head <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-what-mark-daigneault-wants-better-close-call-timberwolves">coach Mark Daigneault highlighted what needs improvement</a>, following Wednesday’s win against the Timberwolves, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the gutsy win is a testament to his team’s growth.</p><p>“It took poise. It took effort. It took communication, energy, all the things it takes to win possessions, win basketball games in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And this team has done a really good job of doing some and learning how to build that skill. And that just showed up tonight. That just played itself out. We’ve done it so many times. No matter what the game looks like, you have to do certain things to get advantages on your opponent.</p><p>“Tonight, we had to grind it out. Looked a little bit different, but we got it done.”</p><p>The Thunder’s win against the Timberwolves is the defending champion’s tenth consecutive victory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren credits Mark Daigneault after connecting on dagger-3 vs. Timberwolves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-gets-real-finding-incredible-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'Chet Holmgren gets 100% real on Thunder finding incredible success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Thunder-center-Chet-Holmgren-7-goes-to-the-basket.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Chet Holmgren gets 100% real on Thunder finding incredible success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-25T17:49:56-08:00">November 25th, 5:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-25T17:50:27-08:00">November 25th, 5:50pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chet Holmgren and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-incredible-efficiency-leads-17-1-start">Oklahoma City Thunder have looked unstoppable</a> on the court so far in the 2025-26 NBA season.</p><p>They have lost just once in the 18 games they played to start the campaign, and the way Oklahoma City is beating teams is so dominant that the reigning NBA champion is currently leading the league with a staggering <a href="https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/stats">average scoring margin of +16.9</a>.</p><p>But the success the Thunder are having <a href="https://x.com/CAlmanza1007/status/1993399223237152964" rel="noopener">isn’t blinding them from wanting more</a>.</p><p>Take it from Holmgren himself.</p><p>“We don’t have anybody on the team who’s sitting and reminiscing on what a great career they had,” Holmgren said, per Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire.</p><p>“I think everybody on the team is still chasing and striving for more. The championship wasn’t the last check on their bucket list.”</p><p>Even in their only loss so far this season, the Thunder looked very competitive, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-gives-thunder-first-loss-not-bizarre-ending">fell prey to the Portland Trail Blazers</a> on the road on Nov. 5, 121-119.</p><p>Led by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is surrounded by great young talents, the Thunder remain hungry as ever to win a championship despite having just won one in the 2024-25 season. For Holmgren, he is averaging 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while knocking down 56.2 percent of his shots from the floor.</p><p>The Thunder, who just avenged their loss to Portland by crushing the Trail Blazers at home on Sunday, 122-95, are leading the NBA with a<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=NET_RATING" rel="noopener"> +16.9 net rating</a> on the strength of their 119.6 offensive rating and 102.8 defensive rating — also the best in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.3	7.9	1.8	1.5	0.7

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.3	7.9	1.8	1.5	0.7

Chet Holmgren news

Chet
Holmgren news