Chet Holmgren Shatters NBA Rookie Records in Thunder’s Playoff Upset

Chet Holmgren is set for a rare home-coming showcase Friday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, and all signs point to the 22-year-old phenom suiting up without any minutes restriction. Holmgren, who starred at Minneapolis’s own Minnehaha Academy before becoming the No. 2 overall pick, has already delivered a breakout postseason—averaging 18.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks while shooting 50.8 % from the field through the first two playoff rounds. His length and rim protection have been central to Oklahoma City’s surge from play-in hopeful to legitimate title contender. Returning to Minnesota: more than a storyline Holmgren admitted the trip back to Target Center is “pretty surreal,” recalling youth tournaments he once watched from the upper bowl. But sentimentality will disappear at tip-off. The 7-foot-1 big man anchors the NBA’s No. 1 ranked defense, and coach Mark Daigneault will rely on Holmgren’s mobility to chase Karl-Anthony Towns beyond the arc—a matchup that swung Game 2 when Holmgren held Towns to 4-for-14 shooting in the second half. Health update ends speculation After a mid-February foot sprain forced Holmgren to miss 12 games, Thunder fans feared a repeat of his rookie season foot injury. Team doctors have since cleared him fully, and the lanky center insists he “feels 100 %” heading into the frenzied Target Center atmosphere, quelling any new surgery rumors that circulated online. Why Holmgren’s skill set stresses the Timberwolves • Stretch-five gravity: Holmgren’s 39 % three-point clip drags Rudy Gobert out of the paint, opening driving lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. • Interior deterrent: His 7-foot-6 wingspan has produced a postseason-best 3.9 adjusted shot d-FG % at the rim, per NBA tracking data. • Transition trigger: Holmgren averages 4.4 run-out points, a key reason Oklahoma City leads all playoff teams in fast-break scoring. Key long-tail keywords fans are searching today “Chet Holmgren injury update,” “Chet Holmgren vs Timberwolves statistics,” “How to watch Thunder Timberwolves live,” and “Chet Holmgren blocks highlights” have spiked on Google Trends this week. Embedding these queries into your searches will surface the latest video footage and betting odds before Game 3. How to watch Game 3 live • Date & time: Friday, May 24, 2025, 8:30 p.m. ET • TV: ESPN / ESPN Deportes • Stream: ESPN+, Sling TV, FuboTV (free-trial options available) • Radio: WWLS-FM (OKC), KFAN 100.3 (MIN) Projected impact on the series The Western Finals are tied 1-1. Advanced metrics from Basketball Reference give OKC a 62 % chance to advance if Holmgren posts at least a 20-point, 10-rebound line—something he has done six times in the past month. Should the Thunder steal Game 3, they’ll flip home-court advantage and place immense pressure on a Timberwolves squad already battling depth issues. What’s next for Holmgren beyond 2025 With Rookie-Scale Years 3-4 and a potential nine-figure extension looming, Holmgren is constructing a résumé that could land him an All-NBA spot as early as next season. His two-way ceiling has executives across the league reassessing roster builds that lack a mobile, shot-blocking stretch-five. Bottom line Chet Holmgren’s Minneapolis return offers the perfect storm of narrative, numbers, and postseason stakes. If he continues his upward trajectory, Friday night could become the signature performance that cements him as the face of the Thunder’s championship push—and as the NBA’s next true unicorn.