With the Oklahoma City Thunder one win away from the NBA Finals, head coach Mark Daigneault stressed the importance of composure and focus ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Daigneault highlighted the team’s offensive poise in the fourth quarter of Game 4, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 6-of-7 from the field to help close out a 128-126 road win.
“The guys stepped up and made big plays,” Daigneault said. “To get 20 field goal attempts in the fourth is good because it means you’re not turning over, and you’re getting shots on goal, which not only gives you a chance to make the shots but gives you a chance to get back and set your defense.”
He praised guard Cason Wallace for his relentless energy, citing several broken plays where Wallace secured loose balls and contested possessions. “He’s got a great nose for the ball,” Daigneault said. “He’s a ball hawk… We move him all over the floor—both ends—and he just looks like a seasoned guy out there.”
Daigneault acknowledged the defensive slippage late in Game 4 but credited the shot-making from multiple contributors, including Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. “Last night, the offense won us the game,” he said. “We obviously needed all those points in order to win.”
On the defensive end, Daigneault pointed to moments where the Thunder lost discipline against secondary scorers. “The DiVincenzo threes were almost all clean and corner threes,” he said. “That’s where we can learn and improve.”
Lu Dort’s physicality remained a defensive anchor, drawing two illegal screens while shadowing Minnesota’s top scorers. “He doesn’t get screened,” Daigneault noted. “In order to get him off the other team’s guy, you really have to screen to contact… that’s where the illegality comes from.”
Daigneault also credited Kenrich Williams’ role in countering Minnesota’s size and versatility. “He helps on the glass. He can handle different matchups,” he said. “He’s played inconsistent roles game to game, but when we’ve called his number, he’s been incredibly impactful.”
Jalen Williams’ ability to bounce back from off nights has stood out to Daigneault throughout the postseason. “All great players go through ups and downs in a playoff run,” he said. “Dub’s done a great job of learning from that, keeping himself in it, and playing the next possession and the next game.”
As the Thunder prepare to host Game 5 at Paycom Center, where they are 7-1 this postseason, Daigneault underscored the team’s approach: one possession at a time.
“All that matters right now is Game 5,” he said. “If we want to win Game 5, it starts with preparation tomorrow morning. Then, once the ball goes up, our execution of the first possession, then the second, and so on.”
