Chet Holmgren reacts to Jared McCain’s Thunder debut

Mark Daigneault shared a similar sentiment to Thunder All-Star forward Chet Holmgren about McCain, who was thrust into the Thunder’s matchup and often forced to rely on his instincts and what little he knew about Daigneault’s offensive approach.

“He was good. He hasn’t been here for more than 48 hours. So, that’s a really tough spot, but I thought he did a really good job of just blending into the team, blending into the game,” Daigneault said. “He was confident and aggressive, but not inappropriately. He looked like he belonged out there in terms of the way we play. So, he did a nice job in, obviously, a challenging circumstance.”

The Thunder suffered its second consecutive loss without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In a 112-106 loss to the Rockets, Cason Wallace’s 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting led the Thunder’s offense. Isaiah Joe supplied 21 points, including three triples, and McCain added five points, three rebounds, and one assist in 14 minutes.

Jared McCain talks about his Thunder debut

Thunder guard Jared McCain felt the love from the people of his new fanbase when he first checked into the game. After head coach Mark Daigneault called out the Thunder’s late-game execution, McCain discussed the moment he first checked into the game during the first half.

McCain felt the embrace from Thunder fans at the Paycom Center, per The Franchise 107.7’s Daniel Bell.

“It was amazing. I gotta watch the video, but I felt the love right when I entered the game,” McCain said. “Playing with this group is going to make me better. So, I’m excited.

Thunder fans gave McCain a standing ovation at the Paycom Center.

The Thunder will look to bounce back from its two consecutive losses when it travels to face the Lakers on Monday.