Amidst a group of elite NBA bigs, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren is often forgotten about, according to ESPN's Kendrick Perkins. Holmgren's 28-point performance against the Houston Rockets helped the Thunder erase a 12-point, second-half deficit in a 125-124 double-overtime thriller. Against All-Stars Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, and the Rockets, Chet had a quick start, connecting on all seven of his attempts in the first half.
Holmgren finished with 28 points on 11-of-17 attempts, including 2-of-5 from deep, seven rebounds, and two assists. After the win, Perkins stood up for Holmgren, explaining how the Thunder forward is often overlooked, he said, per ESPN's NBA Today.
“It seems like we talk about all the bigs in the world, right? Sengun, Giannis, Jokic, and rightfully so, but then all of a sudden, Chet Holmgren is the forgotten. And then, he reminded us last night in that first half how he went to work,” Perkins said. “He was deep in his bag like he had waffle fries at the bottom. Inside/out. And when you talk about how unique he is as far as his skillset, that's why they're able to mix it up.
“Sometimes they go big with him and Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor because of Chet's ability to knock down the trey ball. He was 2-for-5 from the three last night. But last night, even over KD in the first quarter, he was giving the shimmy shake over right, over left shoulders, the step-backs, off-the-dribble — he's like that, Perkins concluded.”
"[Chet Holmgren] was deep in his bag like he had waffle fries at the bottom."@KendrickPerkins gives Chet props after a big night against Houston 🔥🍟 pic.twitter.com/wNg1cjN52e
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 22, 2025
While injuries have plagued a significant chunk of the early stages in Holmgren's career, he looks better than he ever has one game into his fourth season with the Thunder, as Kendrick Perkins notes. With some projecting 2025-26 to be the season Holmgren makes his first All-Star appearance, he's off to a phenomenal start.
How Chet Holmgren moved on from Thunder ring ceremony
Head coach Mark Daigneault and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stressed that the Thunder need to improve after a gutsy win over a Western Conference contender in the Houston Rockets. However, neither were surprised to see Chet Holmgren perform at such a high level. After the victory, Holmgren revealed his mindset — from the pregame festivities to the competitive game.
“We all kind of discussed it. You have to be present and enjoy the ceremony, but as soon as that's over, we gotta get ready to play a game,” Holmgren said. “It wasn't perfect early. It wasn't perfect the whole game — credit to our team. Credit to the guys out there — that's what they do, just find a way to come away with a win.”
Holmgren and the Thunder will face the Pacers on Thursday.
