With their season on the line, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made it clear on Saturday that execution and consistency—not reinvention—will decide Sunday’s Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets.
“Really excited,” Daigneault said when asked about the Thunder’s readiness. “It’s a privilege to play in these games, and we’re excited to play.”
The Western Conference Semifinals are tied 3-3 after Denver took Game 6 behind Jamal Murray’s 25 points and Nikola Jokic’s 29-point near triple-double.
Daigneault emphasized that the key to Game 7 is not scheme innovation, but fundamental discipline under pressure.
“I think that’s most series and most games,” he said. “The game comes down to very controllable, fundamental things that are very, very hard to execute consistently when put under the pressure of competition.”
Despite Oklahoma City’s youth—only three players on the roster have previous Game 7 experience—Daigneault isn’t introducing new strategies.
“It’s the same stuff,” he said. “If you need new material in these situations, then your material was wrong in the first place.”
Asked about Saturday’s practice session, Daigneault described his squad as steady and professional.
“They’re pretty consistent,” he said. “They have a great baseline of work, baseline of focus, baseline of behavior.”
The Thunder finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record at 68-14, earning them home-court advantage in Sunday’s decider at Paycom Center.
Daigneault acknowledged that benefit but said it won’t determine the result.
“It shows the importance of the regular season,” he said. “But when the ball goes up in the air tomorrow, what happens between the lines is going to be what determines who wins the game.”
Veteran guard Alex Caruso, who has championship experience, was singled out for his leadership.
“He helps a lot,” Daigneault said. “But all the guys do. We’ve got leadership being injected into the team throughout the roster.”
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the few with Game 7 experience, Daigneault played down its impact.
“Everything around the game is different,” he said. “But once the ball goes up in the air, it’s the same game.”
He stressed the need for his players to stay present and execute over all 48 minutes.
“There’s a lot of different opportunities to execute,” Daigneault said. “You just try to stack as many of those possessions as you can.”
Game 7 tips off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City, with the winner advancing to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
