Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault credited composure and bench production after his team secured a 103-100 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The victory pushed Oklahoma City to 49-15, the best record in the Western Conference, while the Knicks dropped to 40-23 despite a strong third-quarter surge.
Daigneault pointed to the start of the fourth quarter as the turning point after New York erased a 15-point deficit with a 40-point third period.
“What stands out first is the start of the fourth,” Daigneault said. “It wasn’t a great third quarter. We got an early lead and then it was a 40-point quarter for them.”
The Thunder regrouped with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench early in the final period.
“To start the fourth quarter, Shai on the bench, that group stabilized the game, handed the game back with a lead,” Daigneault said. “That was just a really, really stabilizing stretch.”
Oklahoma City leaned on depth after injuries forced rotation adjustments during the game.
“He wasn’t set to be in the rotation tonight,” Daigneault said of a reserve contributor. “We obviously had a couple guys go out. I wouldn’t have called on him if I didn’t know he’d be ready to go and throw his best punch.”
The Thunder coach emphasized the importance of readiness across the roster.
“Everybody always talks about staying ready,” Daigneault said. “It’s one thing to say it. It’s one thing to be ready when you know your number’s getting called.”
Chet Holmgren delivered one of the most impactful performances of the night with 28 points and six three-pointers.
“I think it was the offense working for us,” Daigneault said. “They had wings on him all night and it was just us getting the ball ahead of their defense and getting us to rotation.”
Holmgren’s ability to adapt defensively also stood out for Oklahoma City.
“He was guarding wings all night,” Daigneault said. “It’s a completely different fundamental set when you’re guarding those guys versus guarding a five.”
Daigneault called the second-year center’s versatility a major advantage for the Thunder.
“The fact that he can swing back and forth between those two things is a huge luxury for us,” Daigneault said.
The Knicks still created problems on the glass behind Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds.
“He punished us on the glass tonight,” Daigneault said. “He did a really good job. He fought down there.”
Oklahoma City also relied on late-game execution from Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 26 points.
“He moves it, he finds teammates, and then he finds his crack and hits that shot,” Daigneault said. “He’s got a great blend and great control of the game.”
Daigneault believes those late-game moments reflect the maturity of his roster.
“They’ve got the competitive maturity at this point to understand how to win,” Daigneault said. “That doesn’t mean we’ll win every game, but they understand the path you have to walk to win.”
The coach said those experiences help prepare the team for the postseason.
“That’s how you build your muscle through the course of the regular season,” Daigneault said. “You make yourself as mentally tough as you can be as you get to the end of the year.”
