Chet Holmgren gets first NBA Matchup with Kevin Durant

On Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Phoenix Suns as they continue their first Western Conference road trip of the season. After falling to the Sacramento Kings, the Thunder fell to 0-4 against the Western Conference and 5-0 against the East. Chet Holmgren and the Thunder are looking to bounce back.

The OKC Thunder are now 0-2 in the in-season Tournament after a lazy game against the Sacramento Kings. It felt like the Thunder did not have their normal juice for that tilt on the grey and blue hardwood.

Sunday should have no shortage of juice; while it is not an in-season tournament game, the emotional ties run deep. The Thunder and Suns are each coming off a loss, and this is a highly personal matchup.

The OKC Thunder see Chet Holmgren matchup with Kevin Durant for the first time on an NBA hardwood.

Former OKC Thunder star Kevin Durant has made no bones about what he thinks of this young Thunder core. The Suns star has often noted Chet Holmgren’s game, even being the first to praise the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft’s Summer League debut.

Chet Holmgren and Kevin Durant have spent a nice chunk of the offseason working out together and have a deeply personal relationship.

Holmgren has hit the ground running in the NBA; he is averaging 16 points, nearly eight rebounds, and two assists per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point land, and 88 percent from the charity stripe.

He has admittedly learned a lot from Kevin Durant, and as iron sharpens iron, it is impossible not to give at least a fracture of credit to the future Hall of Famer.

Chet Holmgren is also a highly emotional player who is hyper-aware of his surroundings on the court. Even dating back to college, when he faced his most significant challenges, he seemed to play better. This has the makings of an extremely fun day for the OKC Thunder fanbase.