Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the team’s 108-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Center.
“I thought their run at the end of the first half was a missed opportunity for us because we had really firm control of the game and then didn’t have a huge score to show for it,” Daigneault said. “They threw the first punch in the second half and took an early lead, and even in the fourth we were able to open up a little bit of breathing room and just didn’t execute well enough obviously to win the game.”
The Thunder trailed 49-31 in the second quarter but battled back late, only to see Devin Booker hit a 0.7-second game-winner. “Credit them. They were a more physical team. Their consistent fight, weathering the storm in the first half, they deserve to win the game,” Daigneault added.
He viewed the matchup against Phoenix as a valuable barometer for his team. “It’s a great opportunity. They don’t give you anything free and they execute really well on both ends of the floor. They forced us to beat them tonight and we didn’t get that done,” he said.
Daigneault highlighted the development of his players, particularly Jalen Williams and AJ Mitchell. “He [Jalen] continues to make the right plays and the compete level. I’m happy with that,” Daigneault said. On Mitchell, he added, “He’s been a positive defender for us, physical, disciplined, executes the schemes, consistently hard playing. Tonight he gave us a good offensive punch as well.”
The coach also addressed rebounding issues and the Suns’ physical perimeter defense. “The game never comes down to just one area in a vacuum. We lost that area tonight, still could have won by executing better in other areas,” Daigneault said. “They’re really tight in their coverages. You can get good possessions against them, but you have to work really hard.”
Despite the loss, Daigneault noted the team’s progress and learning opportunities. “These games give us really accurate feedback of where we’re at. If you’re focused on improving, that’s a good game for us,” he said. “It came down to a possession here or there, and they made one more play than we did. Twelve offensive rebounds for them, which they convert into 14 points, obviously all those points count the same, but it factors into momentum.”
The Thunder fell to 30-6 while the Suns improved to 21-14, with Jordan Goodwin scoring a career-high 26 points to snap Oklahoma City’s four-game winning streak. Oklahoma City will host Charlotte on Tuesday, aiming to bounce back from a close defeat.
