Chet Holmgren’s “sell the team” joke as he reflects on OKC’s struggles this season

In three quarters, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder they struggled to keep the Houston Rockets at bay before cruising to a 20-point victory after outscoring their opponent 34-16 in the fourth quarter. Extending his winning streak to five, the The Thunder defeated the Rockets 111-91.

Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 16 points through three quarters, and Jalen Williams, who finished 2-for-11 shooting, respectively, Oklahoma City relied on its top-ranked defense to shut down the Rockets. Holmgren led the Thunder with 18 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals. He also addressed OKC’s 6-6 record in its worst stretch of the season.

As the Thunder continue a challenging four-game road trip, Holmgren spoke criticism to come when the defending champions, who have conceded just seven losses in 42 outings this season, lose as many games as they have won in a dozen games.

“When you lose, everybody acts like the ceiling is collapsing and the sky is falling, sell the team — I don’t think anybody said that, but that’s the feeling,” Holmgren said with a smile. “When you lose, everything is thrown out, everything is under a microscope. You can’t lose sight of who you are, what you’re doing and how to do those things when you’re going through those times.”

“Sometimes you have to survive to move forward. It’s not like we’re in the clear and we’ve been through it forever. It’s the NBA. The teams are good. The schedule is tough. This is basketball, but there’s life. So you just have to stay calm.”

For Holmgren, it’s important to adjust to the constant ups and downs without getting too high or too low on the outcome.

“You realize that tough times and bad games are going to happen, and you just have to keep sticking with it, and don’t go too far when things are going well, because you still have to get better,” Holmgren added. “Other teams are involved in what’s going well, and they’re trying to take it away – it’s a never-ending cycle.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander backs up Thunder’s Chet Holmgren

Thunder’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Chet Holmgren is an All-Star. Gilgeous-Alexander granted his starting attack after Holmgren led off Thursday’s win against the Rockets.

“Chet is definitely an All-Star,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “From the moment he stepped on the court with the basketball team, we’ve been No. 1 in the West. That’s no accident.”

Jaylen Williams, who earned his first All-Star selection last season, endorsed the same message for Holmgren’s bid last week. For the Thunder’s All-Star tandem, Holmgren is insignificant.