Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderdid all he could on Saturday night, but in the end it was too much to overcome that three of OKC's core guys didn't play in Game 7.Jalen Williamswas out with a hamstring.Ajay Mitchellhad a strained calf. AndChet Holmgrencaught a case of theBen Simmonsbug. Yeah, Holmgren was technically on the floor for 33 minutes.
He did about as much in that time as Williams and Mitchell did from the bench in street clothes, scoring four points on two shot attempts as theThunderfailed in their mission to become the first repeat NBA champion since the 2018Warriors. It's theSpurswho are marching on to the Finals to face theKnicksafter a 111-103 victory in one of the most poised performances you will ever see from a team in a Game 7.
It came on the road, against the defending champions, with three players age 22 or younger leading the charge. This is what it looks like to step up in a big-time moment. Not a single player on the Spurs backed away from the heat of this game for even a single second. Holmgren, on the other hand, looked terrified.
You don't usually want to make that sort of judgment on a guy from afar, but this was too obvious to ignore. The guy wanted nothing to do with Wembanyama. Nothing to do with any pass that came his way. Nothing to do with the moment. I cannot stress the two shot attempts enough.
This was not a case of Holmgren trying to make plays and just running into Wembanyama at every turn, or driving and kicking, or doing anything productive with the ball. He couldn't get rid of the thing quickly enough.
This is what it looks like to catch a pass, take a look at the guy in front of you, and simply say "no thanks" and hot-potato it right back where it came from, only to basically be forced to trysomethingwhen it comes back to you and not even being able to stay on your feet. Meanwhile, this is what Wemby was busy doing to Holmgren. Let's also be clear: Wemby wasn't even Holmgren's primary defender in this series.
The Spurs put wings on him like Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie as Wemby roamed as a paint protector (he basically met Chet at every turn as a help defender), and yet he still couldn't find a way to exploit the size mismatches as a seven-footer in his own right. To even say Holmgren was passive on Saturday night would be giving him too much credit. He was basically invisible.
Of the four shots he took, zero came in the second half. That is inexcusable for a guy who will start a five-year, $239 million contract next season. A guy who was voted Third Team All-NBA this season. It's exponentially worse that Holmgren pulled this disappearing act in a game in which the Thunder were, as mentioned, already without Williams and Mitchell.