OKLAHOMA CITY — Before facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the advantages of a two-game series against the potential playoff opponent. After Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams addressed the Lakers after Friday’s loss, Daigneault discussed the significance of hosting two games in two days against Los Angeles.

This late into the regular season, Daigneault believes there is no significant advantage to playing a potential playoff opponent in their last two home games, per Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza.

“I think schemes and holding schemes back, and all of that stuff, I think, gets a little overblown,” Daigneault said. “What’s important now and in the playoffs is fundamentals. You’re still going to have to guard the ball, they’re still going to have to guard the ball. You’re still going to have to rebound, they’re still going to have to rebound. You’re still going to have to space the floor, they’re still going to have to space the floor.”

For Daigneault, Oklahoma City’s last pair of regular-season games are still an opportunity for his team to improve.

“To win a series, gotta be really, really strong fundamentally, building habits, and we’re more focused on building them,” Daigneault added. “The schemes are kind of the start of a possession.

In their only meeting this season, the Lakers defeated Mark Daigneault and the Thunder 101-93 on November 29.

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After Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was brutally honest about Friday’s loss, Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams kept it 100 as well. Instead of fixating on the defeat, Williams addressed the big picture of an impressive 11-game win streak and how the Thunder continue to improve this late into the regular season.

“I don’t want to blow this up super crazy. How many games did we just win in a row, 11? That’s hard to do in general. I don’t want to say we’ll have games like this, but that is the human nature part of it,” Williams said. “We already clinched. We’re going to be in first place, like, we know. So, I think it’s very easy to let yourself off the gas. We’ve done a good job of it. I think this team really enjoys winning, too. So, just trying to keep that competitive edge each game.

“We’re playing against ourselves. We’re trying to get ready and figure out what works and what doesn’t for the playoffs. So, we’re trying to keep that in mind as we play,” Williams concluded.

The Thunder will host the Lakers on Sunday and Tuesday.