Chet Holmgren Loves The Physicality Level Of The Nba Playoffs

With a smoothie in hand, Chet Holmgren and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder earned another treat by taking care of business against their Round 1 opponent.

Before some other playoff series even tipped off their Game 3, the Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday to earn another week off en route to their Round 2 opponent. The Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are guaranteed to go six games, with a strong chance at a decisive Game 7 considering how the first four outings played out.

As the Thunder await, Holmgren had a chance to reflect on their Round 1 win over the Grizzlies. The final margin of victory dwindled from 51 points in Game 1 to just two points in Game 4. Memphis looked on the verge of forcing at least a Game 5 before Ja Morant suffered a hip contusion in Game 3.

Holmgren loved the physicality that the referees allowed the Thunder to play against the Grizzlies. It's right up their alley as the NBA's best defense in years is built around causing turnovers and wrecking passing lanes for quickly transition buckets.

“It’s great. It feels like how we used to play at the park. There’s no playing for fouls out there. You got to play to get a bucket. If you play to get a foul at the park, somebody is going to take the ball and go home," Holmgren said. "I'm all for it. The only thing is there is no memo before the game. It's not like, 'This is how we're going to call the game.' I feel like we learned that in Game 3 of the last series."

Holmgren referenced the best game of their four-game series against the Grizzlies. Down 29 points, the Thunder mounted the second-biggest comeback in NBA playoff history as they held Memphis to just 31 second-half points. That sucked all the air of the building. The FedExForum crowd went from a party atmosphere to a funeral.

"We can't go out there and kinda feel out how the refs are going to call the game. Especially in Game 3, they were just letting everything fly, which I'm cool with," Holmgren said. "I feel like we have to go out and set the tone on how they need to call the game."

A general rule of thumb about the playoffs is that the referees call fewer ticky-tack fouls than in the regular season. Instead, they let the talent speak for itself on the court. For Holmgren and the Thunder, all they're asking for is a consistent whistle.

"More so than how they're calling it and trying to adjust," Holmgren said. "You just have to go out there and just play."

Chet Holmgren on the playoff physicality: “It’s great. It feels like how we used to play at the park. There’s not playing for fouls out there. You got to play to get a bucket. If you play to get a foul at the park, somebody is going to take the ball and go home.” pic.twitter.com/nVtUYnr7u0

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 29, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren loves the physicality level of the NBA playoffs