OKLAHOMA CITY — After connecting on a dagger-3 to push the Thunder's lead to four in the final minute of Wednesday's 113-105 NBA Cup win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chet Holmgren discussed Mark Daigneault's influence. Daigneault challenged the Thunder to play better after one of Oklahoma City's hardest-fought regular-season wins.
After the win, Holmgren credited Daigneault for instilling confidence in Chet to take a shot such as the one against the Timberwolves in the final minute of the final frame.
“Obviously, it was great. It helped us win the game, and that's what it's all about,” Holmgren said. “Not everything was going my way the whole night. Just had to stay in it. Coach trusted me to be out there to close the game. So, I just tried to do what I could to help us get the win.”
Chet Holmgren finished with 12 points on 4-of-12 attempts, including his only three, which made it a two-possession game for the Thunder down the stretch.
“In the biggest games, you're going to have to execute down the stretch, and it's great to see those situations in the regular season,” Holmgren said. “That doesn't mean you want to let a team hang around. If you can put them away, you wanna do so. But they're all great experiences for us, and we've been in those situations a lot in the past. And we'll continue to learn from them and get better in those moments.”
The Thunder improved to 18-1, the league's best record, and extended its winning streak to 10.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder's approach in NBA Cup win
After Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault highlighted what needs improvement, following Wednesday's win against the Timberwolves, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the gutsy win is a testament to his team's growth.
“It took poise. It took effort. It took communication, energy, all the things it takes to win possessions, win basketball games in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And this team has done a really good job of doing some and learning how to build that skill. And that just showed up tonight. That just played itself out. We've done it so many times. No matter what the game looks like, you have to do certain things to get advantages on your opponent.
“Tonight, we had to grind it out. Looked a little bit different, but we got it done.”
The Thunder's win against the Timberwolves is the defending champion's tenth consecutive victory.
