Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault described Oklahoma City’s 110-93 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks as a game where “we weren’t able to really get any offensive rhythm tonight for whatever reason.” He added, “Milwaukee did a great job. Obviously they outplayed us the whole night. It just wasn’t our best night.”
Daigneault praised Nikola Topic, who made his NBA debut after missing the season due to testicular cancer, saying, “Just thrilled for him. He’s obviously been through a ton of adversity in his life the last couple years. For him to work himself to this point, get himself on the floor is a great accomplishment.”
Reflecting on Topic’s return, Daigneault said, “What chemotherapy does to your body is remarkable. His peak athleticism is not even close to 10 out of 10 right now. We’re just happy he got out there tonight and is on that track back.” He also noted the team’s support, stating, “I love watching the team respond to him both during and after the game. It’s a really good feel-good night for his family, for him, and for our team.”
On Chet Holmgren’s performance, Daigneault explained, “We made a little bit of noise at different times. End of the first half, we did a good job of stringing together stops. The last group gave us a good little lift there, and then we cut into the lead early, but we couldn’t get any traction.”
Daigneault emphasized the importance of using the All-Star break to recharge, saying, “You’ve got to just fill your tank however you need to do that. The guys understand what they need to do individually to get themselves mentally, physically, emotionally recharged for the stretch run.”
Reflecting on the season overall, Daigneault said, “From starting 24-1 to now, we’ve had to face adversity, solve a lot of problems, and be highly adaptive. Despite tonight, I’m pretty pleased with how we’ve handled those challenges.”
On Topic’s progress and integration, Daigneault added, “He finished chemotherapy and has been doing strength training, testing, one-on-one, three-on-three, and now five-on-five. It’s just the early stages of his return to performance.” He also praised Topic’s professionalism, saying, “He was a great professional and did everything we asked him to do while he was here. He deserves a lot of credit.”
Daigneault highlighted the importance of supporting new players, including recent additions like Jared McCain, explaining, “The trade deadline is hectic. Now he gets to decompress a little bit and when he comes back, we’ll all come back together as a team.”
Thursday’s game featured a 19-point, 11-rebound effort from former Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng for the Bucks. Isaiah Joe scored 17 points and Holmgren had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma City, who were playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
