Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault credited his team’s resilience, defensive execution, and poise under pressure following a 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Daigneault highlighted the pivotal moments that allowed the Thunder to erase a double-digit second-half deficit and even the series at 2-2.
“I just thought we showed great will in the game,” Daigneault said. “We had some deflating plays. It was an easy game to give up on, but we kept it within striking distance — 8, 10 — and then were able to close in the fourth.”
The Thunder outscored the Pacers 31-17 in the final quarter, the first time they had won a fourth quarter this series.
Daigneault credited guard Luguentz Dort’s defense for setting the tone in the closing minutes. “His energy, and he was just on it and was very impressive,” he said.
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 15 of his 35 points in the final five minutes, the head coach emphasized the team-wide effort.
“He and Dub did a great job there just execution-wise,” Daigneault said, referring to Jalen Williams. “The shot-making, he was outstanding. But I just thought the whole team — that was an uphill game against a great team.”
Daigneault pointed to Chet Holmgren’s perimeter defense in key switching moments as a major factor late. “He held up great,” he said. “We just found ourselves behind the ball on a lot of plays tonight, and the switching was able to get that under control.”
Veteran guard Alex Caruso also earned praise after scoring 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting. “He’s a competitive monster — clearly,” Daigneault said. “Both ends — help, on-ball — I can’t say enough about him as a competitor.”
The Thunder shot just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc but managed to win through defense, paint touches, and second-chance opportunities. “We kind of manufactured that win,” Daigneault said.
Oklahoma City also weathered Indiana’s physicality, particularly in the third quarter when the Pacers went up by 10. “We just could not get a lot going, especially the third,” Daigneault said. “And just to hang in there — it kind of showed who we are.”
Looking ahead, Daigneault stressed the importance of improving before Game 5. “That’s a really good team that has really found some solutions against us,” he said. “So as we go home, we have to evaluate things on both ends of the floor.”
Game 5 is set for Monday at Paycom Center. Historically, teams that win Game 5 in a 2-2 NBA Finals go on to win the series 73% of the time.
