Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault pointed to defense and mental toughness as the foundation for his team’s 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Speaking after the win, Daigneault emphasized the significance of staying within striking distance despite a poor offensive showing in the first half.
“To play as poorly as we did offensively in the first half and to be down four was a major victory for us,” Daigneault said, highlighting the defense’s ability to keep the team afloat while the offense adjusted to Minnesota’s physical, pressure-heavy scheme.
He credited the Thunder’s ability to recalibrate after facing a stylistically different opponent in Denver during the previous round.
Daigneault also praised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half after struggling early.
“He’s got a great emotional temperament,” the coach noted. “He just keeps himself in it. He was really in attack mode tonight.”
Daigneault said the All-NBA guard’s decision to stop focusing on efficiency this season helped him stay present in high-pressure moments, a mentality that showed in the second-half turnaround.
“Gilgeous-Alexander just plays the possession in front of him,” Daigneault said. “That was on full display tonight.”
The coach also pointed to the second-half performances of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Alex Caruso as key to the team’s elevated level after the break.
Holmgren, who had seven points in the fourth quarter alone, was singled out for adjusting after a slow start.
“He was big-time,” Daigneault said. “He just kept himself in it and really got engaged.”
Kenrich Williams, who hadn’t played significant minutes in over a month, delivered a spark off the bench and drew strong praise for his professionalism and readiness.
“The amount of invisible work that it takes to keep yourself that sharp… that was a big-time performance,” Daigneault said. “He changed the energy.”
Oklahoma City forced 18 turnovers and converted them into over 30 points, an area Daigneault attributed to collective aggression and trust on defense.
“We talk about our crowd around the ball. Trusting our speed, our teammates — that tends to yield turnovers,” he explained.
Despite taking only 21 three-point attempts, the Thunder scored repeatedly in the paint, where Daigneault said they focused their attack due to Minnesota’s perimeter pressure.
“We were on the gas in the paint and aggressive driving the ball,” he said.
When asked about the shift in Minnesota’s offensive production, particularly Julius Randle’s second-half slowdown, Daigneault credited the team’s help defense and on-ball pressure.
“You’ve got to defend great players as a team,” he said. “That’s been a strength of ours all season.”
He concluded by acknowledging the unpredictability of the series and the need for continuous adjustments.
“These series shift so quickly. Every team is constantly trying to problem-solve,” Daigneault said. “We’ve got to get to work.”
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday night in Oklahoma City.