After failing to record a steal or blocked shot in Oklahoma City’s Game 3 victory, Holmgren was highly impactful as a defender in Game 4. The blocks tally was one shy of his series-high, while the six “stocks” were the most he recorded in a game this series. Whether it’s Denver or the LA Clippers in the second round, Holmgren and the Thunder will be challenged more than they were in the first round. Finishing off the sweep gets Oklahoma City additional rest time, which is another benefit for Holmgren and company.

While Memphis losing Ja Morant to a hip injury during the second quarter certainly factored into the home team blowing a 29-point lead, so did Holmgren waking up from his first-half slumber. Having scored one point on 0-of-4 shooting, things could not get much worse for the Thunder forward/center. He was outstanding during the second half, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and scoring 23 points. The comeback is the largest in a playoff game since 1997, and Oklahoma City takes a commanding 3-0 lead into Saturday’s Game 4.

After only needing to play 21 minutes to record a double-double in Sunday’s 51-point victory, Holmgrem was forced to work a little harder in Game 2. That said, his rim protection has been elite, with the second-year forward/center up to seven blocked shots through two games. Add in the rebounding, and Holmgren has been one of the riddles that Memphis has been unable to solve thus far. The series shifts to Memphis for Game 3, which will be played on Thursday night.

Holmgren excelled as a rim protector and stretched the floor by only missing one of his attempts from deep. The Thunder big man’s return to health after an early injury has helped OKC ascend to another level. Holmgren’s pairing with Isaiah Hartenstein in the frontcourt and OKC’s assortment of capable wing defenders seem likely to give Memphis a tough time for the remainder of the series.