After a frightening Game 3 that left many OKC Thunder fans worried about his ability to serve as a championship-caliber third cog, Chet Holmgren turned this narrative upside down with perhaps his most important performance of the postseason.
Once again showcasing his two-way capabilities, the big man wrapped up the night with 14 points, 1 steal, and 1 block while altering several other shots along the way.
However, though these usual areas of expertise certainly played major roles in Oklahoma City's 111-104 win, it was his involvement in one of the lesser emphasized aspects of his game that not only has the ball club back in this series at two wins apiece, but could very well have people once again buzzing about their ability to become the league's next great dynasty.
Improved rebounding from Chet Holmgren is a godsend for Thunder
Despite measuring in at a menacing 7-foot-2, Holmgren has often shied away from low-post physicality, especially on the boards as he averages 7.9 rebounds per game for his career.
Considering his rather underwhelming muscle mass and weight of 205 pounds when soaking wet, this may not be all that surprising to some.
Against the Pacers in Friday's must-win Game 4, however, the 23-year-old seemingly made it a point to crash the glass, which, in turn, saw him pull down a game-high 15 rebounds (four of which came on the offensive end), which directly led to 19 points, 10 coming from Holmgren specifically.
Especially during the second half, when more than half of his boards were pulled down, the big man's aggressiveness in this area of the game appeared to play a serious role in either halting one of Indiana's runs or further extending one of Oklahoma City's.
It shouldn't come as a shock to anybody that on the night when he pulled down the second-highest number of rebounds this postseason, Chet Holmgren tied superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 points on 50.0 percent shooting) for the game's highest plus-minus rating at +14.
Based on how things played out on Friday, if he can continue to embrace this level of low-post participation and physicality, the Pacers are bound to be in for a rough ride throughout the remainder of this championship round.
Perhaps more important, if Chet Holmgren can find some level of consistency in this particular part of his game, not only should the Thunder continue to be viewed as favorites to take home this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, but also, the next several that are to come.