SALT LAKE CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren shone in his pro debut, scoring 23 points and setting a Summer League record for most blocks and 3-pointers in a game.
The second pick in the draft also had seven rebounds, four assists and six blocks in 24 minutes to help the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz, 98-77, on Tuesday night. He became the first player in Summer League history to record at least five blocks and hit four 3-pointers, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Holmgren, a Gonzaga graduate who averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds and ranked fourth nationally with 3.7 blocks per game, went 7-for-7 from 2-point range, 4-for-6 from 3-point range and 5-for-5 at the free throw line.
“I appreciate my teammates for preparing me, talking to me, just putting me in position to be successful,” said Holmgren, who wouldn’t do his postgame interview with ESPN unless Thunder guard Josh Giddey could be by his side. .
“Shout out to this guy here,” he said, pointing at Giddey. “Double-double with assists. Great night for him and that helped me a lot.”
Holmgren made 4 of 5 shots in the first quarter, including three of his four 3-pointers. He sat out the first six minutes of the second quarter before finding Jalen Williams for a dunk to make it 42-22. Holmgren made six straight shots after missing his first attempt.
“The excitement that he came in with, the way he played tonight was big for us,” said Giddey, who finished with 14 points and 11 assists. “Being a top pick like that, there’s a lot of pressure and he handled it as well as he could. It makes my job easier to play someone like him. He can stretch the floor, finish at the rim. He protects me, he has his back to me. on the defensive end. So I love playing with him. It’s been a great game and the chemistry is only getting stronger.”
Jalen Williams, the 12th pick from Santa Clara, added 17 points to help Oklahoma City spoil the debut of new Utah coach Will Hardy.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Holmgren sets Summer League record