The G1 matchup in the first round of the playoffs has all come to an end, and if you want to say that the most intense game is undoubtedly the Thunder VS Pelicans. Although the Pelicans lacked the core Cainn and still challenged the No. 1 in the West for 8th place in the West, the two youth teams performed well, and in the final moments of the battle, CJ McCollum missed the final shot, and the Thunder won a difficult victory. Among them, the rookie Chet's block is very important, and the unique record of the 21st century has also been achieved by him.
CJ McCollum, as a veteran, performed well in this game, shooting 9 of 22 and handing over 20 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Jones Jr. had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and his role was mainly on the defensive end. Murphy had a good hand in this game, hitting five three-pointers and scoring 21 points and four rebounds. Boss Ingram was completely lost, only 12 points and 6 rebounds, which was completely unqualified. Center Valanciunas played both offense and defense, scoring a double-double of 13 points and 20 rebounds, but the team was weak at a critical moment and failed to reverse.
As for the Thunder, as the No. 1 powerhouse in the West, they have better roster depth. Boss Alexander performed well, he blasted 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and scored 5 consecutive points at key moments to kill the game. Giddey had no touch and only scored 2 points. Jay Wei continued his stable performance, easily cutting down 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Dort contributed six points and was a frequent contributor on the defensive end. Wallace and Wiggins on the bench combined for 11 points to complete their tasks efficiently.
The team was able to win the game, and in addition to Alexander's crucial score, rookie Chet Holmgren blocked Nance Jr. in the final moments, which also helped the team escape. After the whole game, Chet dared to fight, he played 32 minutes, shot 6 of 14, and got 15 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks. Although the offensive end is not very efficient, the defensive end is definitely a pillar of optimism.
After this battle, Chet Holmgren also reached a milestone moment. He became the first player in the NBA in the 21st century to make a double-double in a single playoff game while also diching out five blocks. So far in the 21st century, there are many top interior players in the league, Howard, Yao Ming, Gasol, thick eyebrows, Jokic, Embiid and others, all of whom are capable of both offense and defense, but they have not played like Chet.
The player who got a double-double + 5 blocks in his last playoff debut was back to O'Neal. O'Neal made his first playoff appearance in 1994 when he faced the Pacers. As a rookie in the playoffs, O'Neal scored 24 points, 19 rebounds and 5 blocks, which is definitely a historic performance. Although there is still a huge gap between Chet and the Sharks, Chet can play on a par with the achievements, and Chet has a promising future.