Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell gave a shoutout to a teammate who played a crucial role in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
The Thunder clinched a hard-fought road victory in Game 4 against the Lakers on Monday night, securing their second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City remains undefeated in the playoffs (8-0), and impressively, most of their wins have come without All-Star Jalen Williams.
With Chet Holmgren sidelined, Ajay Mitchell stepped up, scoring 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting in Game 4 to lead the team to victory. However, after the game, Mitchell shifted the spotlight to his teammate, Chet Holmgren.
“He’s a killer. That’s his biggest strength—every time he steps on the court, he wants to kill,” Mitchell said in an interview with The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi, as shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Holmgren indeed delivered a strong performance in Game 4, scoring 16 points, including a game-winning dunk in the final moments that many Lakers fans argued was a travel.
Throughout the series, Holmgren was a key contributor and arguably the most consistent player for Oklahoma City, especially given that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers dipped due to relentless double and triple teams from the Lakers.
The Thunder have officially become the first team in nine years to sweep their way to the Western Conference Finals. They swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and now enjoy a well-deserved break while watching the second-round series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs, which is currently tied 2-2.
Game 5 of that series is scheduled for Tuesday night in San Antonio.
