Kevin Garnett Ecstatic Over Chet Holmgren’s Statement Game Against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets

Advait Jajodia | 25/10/2024
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) defends on Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) in the first quarter at Ball Arena.

The Oklahoma City Thunder played dominant basketball to defeat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 at Ball Arena in Denver. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up an impressive 28 points, as usual. But it was Chet Holmgren who took everyone by surprise with a 25-point dagger against Nikola Jokic and Co.

It even earned him a shout-out from Kevin Garnett.

In an emoji-filled Instagram Story, KG applauded Holmgren, “Boy BIG CHET IS OUT HERE… holding his own… WE SEE YOU BIG FELLA”

Keep going big fella @chet_holmgren Respect,” Garnett wrote.

Garnett is always excitedly using his Instagram Stories to commend players. However, such enthusiastic Instagram praise can make it hard for his followers to gauge just how well the OKC center played.

Matching up against Nikola Jokic, the 22-year-old stuffed the stat sheet with 14 rebounds, and 5 assists to go with his 25 points, shooting 11-18 from the floor.

Jokic recorded a triple-double. But Holmgren managed to prevent the three-time MVP from going on a scoring outburst or having a major influence on the game. The two steals and four blocks that he recorded also enabled constant momentum changes, often hushing the energetic crowd at Ball Arena.

Garnett has often expressed his faith in the young Oklahoma side. It won’t be surprising to see him continue to share such Instagram posts, motivating Mark Daigneault’s boys throughout the season.

KG is a huge supporter of the Thunder

The Thunder shocked several analysts and pundits by finishing the 2023-2024 season as the first seed of the Eastern Conference. But a lack of postseason experience and veterans on the squad resulted in a second-round playoff loss against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kevin Garnett was extremely motivated by their overall performance. While previewing the 2024-2025 campaign, the Hall of Famer honored the team with his classic “dog” remark.

“OKC got some dogs. They ain’t got no experience, but sh*t, I seen some little motherf****rs knock the big motherf****rs out just because he was a dog,” Garnett said.

 

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A post shared by KG: Certified (@kgcertified)

This season, SGA will be expected to have yet another MVP-like performance and Holmgren is likely to make the All-Star team. Backed by this dynamic one-two punch, the Thunder can find themselves #1 in the Western Conference standings once again.

Learnings from their previous postseason could prompt a deeper run in the 2025 playoffs, perhaps, even lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Chet Holmgren Denver Nuggets Kevin Garnett Oklahoma City Thunder

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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