Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised his team’s defensive effort following their 116-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at Paycom Center.
“I thought the defense was really good all day. They didn’t get much easy,” Daigneault said. “We made them earn everything, which is what you have to do against a really good team.”
Daigneault highlighted the return of Isaiah Hartenstein, noting his “invisible value” and impact on both ends. “He helps with the physicality with Gobert on the glass when you need to stabilize that. He’s a great screen setter and really got that going with those guys running around him,” he explained.
The coach also praised the chemistry between Hartenstein and Jared McCain, remarking, “Hart and Isaiah got it going early last year too. His intellect is totally underrated on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he adapts his screen setting game to his teammates. It’s really impressive.”
The Thunder’s bench group, featuring Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace, was credited with shifting momentum in the third quarter. Daigneault said, “That group really elevated the intensity of the game… They cut back into the lead and got the game back under control.”
Discussing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 20 points with 10 assists, Daigneault noted his leadership despite a slow start. “He found the roller a bunch of times, especially in the first half. His floor game was really good tonight despite the tough shooting night. He’s a winning player,” Daigneault said.
Daigneault emphasized the team’s effort on the offensive glass and floor movement. “The movement that group, combined with shooting gravity, really moves the defense around… Chet and Hart’s rim protection allows you to play like that on offense and sustain defensively,” he said.
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Jared McCain’s defensive growth was also highlighted. “He has great awareness. We were clear he had to scale up fundamentally, and he’s done that. He gives a huge lift on offense,” Daigneault noted. He further praised timely defensive plays by Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace as momentum builders.
Daigneault addressed in-game adversity, stressing focus over distractions. “Regardless of what’s going on in the game, we have to be relentless about playing the next play… That mentality helped us in the third,” he said.
Finally, Daigneault discussed starting AJ Mitchell, who contributed defensively despite limited minutes. “He didn’t have a great efficient shooting night, but his control was good. We trust him defensively, and the opportunity to get him out early in these high-level games is one we want to take advantage of,” the coach said.
The Thunder improved to 53-15 with the win, maintaining the league’s best record and extending their winning streak to eight games.
