Chet Holmgren attempted to quiet his doubters in his first appearance as a pro basketball player.
The Thunder rookie scored 23 points, blocked six shots, pulled down seven rebounds, sank four 3-pointers and dished out four assists to help Oklahoma City beat the Utah Jazz 98-77 on Tuesday in a Utah Summer League game at Salt Lake City.
Oklahoma City selected Holmgren out of Gonzaga with the second overall pick in last month’s draft. Duke’s Paolo Banchero went No. 1 overall to the Orlando Magic.
Told postgame that he set a Utah Summer League record with his six blocked shots, Holmgren replied, “Only six? That’s the record? Oh, well I’m coming to break it again.”
"Only six? … I'm coming to break it again."
Chet Holmgren after breaking the Summer League record for blockspic.twitter.com/E6dtUBPQmB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 6, 2022
Holmgren also was effective on the offensive end, sinking 7 of 9 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
In his lone season at Gonzaga, Holmgren averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 1.9 assists. The Bulldogs entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed but lost in a regional semifinal to Arkansas.
–Field Level Media
