Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault did not shy away from accountability following Wednesday night’s 116-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
In a postgame press conference, Daigneault described the Thunder’s 19 turnovers as “uncharacteristic,” noting the team typically performs with more composure. “They played with great energy. They were physical, they pressured, they sustained it for much of the 48,” he said.
Despite strong starts in both the first and third quarters, Oklahoma City was outscored by 16 in the second and fourth periods combined. Daigneault emphasized the need for consistency, stating, “We definitely have to play our style and impose our will for more of the 48 minutes if we want to come on the road and get a win.”
When asked about the team’s defensive execution on Indiana’s switches, Daigneault acknowledged lapses. “There’s definitely possessions where I thought they were the aggressor, and we weren’t in the ball enough,” he said. He pointed to the start of the third as a brief stretch where the Thunder’s physicality matched expectations.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s quiet fourth quarter was also a topic of concern. The All-NBA guard took only three shots and had no assists in the final frame. “They really outplayed us in the fourth… they were in character in terms of their physicality, their pressure on defense, and then they were in character in terms of their pace on offense,” Daigneault explained.
Indiana’s bench, led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 27 points, was another decisive factor. Daigneault credited the Pacers’ second unit for setting the tone in critical stretches. “Their bench really came in the game and was excellent,” he said. “Those guys played really well. They outplayed us.”
T.J. McConnell’s disruptive presence, including five steals and multiple inbounds interceptions, stood out. “Those were big plays… but I just thought their overall tone was better than ours for the majority of the game,” Daigneault added.
Late-game execution also proved problematic for the Thunder. “When you’re down eight with that little time, your margin for error is really thin,” he said. He credited Indiana for closing out the game effectively and highlighted their sharpness in key moments.
Daigneault addressed missed opportunities from the free throw line as well. “Usually we’re a pretty good free throw shooting team… I thought it was an uncharacteristic night in a lot of ways for us,” he said.
With the Pacers now leading the series 2-1, the Thunder will need to regroup quickly before Game 4 on Friday night in Indianapolis. “We got to learn from it and then try to go be a better team in Game 4,” Daigneault concluded.
