Subscribe
Follow Us
MINNEAPOLIS — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has had ample time to rethink his approach following the Thunder’s historic 42-point loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs.
After a 143-101 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Daigneault is heading into Monday’s matchup open to making significant changes, which wouldn’t be anything new for the fifth-year head coach.
Daigneault has made unexpected lineup changes in the past, which could be critical for the Thunder to take a 3-1 lead as the Timberwolves head into Game 4 with an opportunity to tie the series, 2-2.
“We keep everything fluid for a reason so that it’s not these seismic events when we change a lineup at any point in time,” Daigneault said. “We changed the starting lineup during the season, coming out of halftime; we changed the rotation almost nightly in the regular season and playoffs; we try to normalize that for situations where we can be opportunistic.”
With a deep bench, Daigneault undoubtedly has options. He could shy away from his double-big lineup, featuring Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, and elect to go small, starting Alex Caruso over Hartenstein. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins are other options to start Game 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder’s ‘urgency’ vs Timberwolves
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the Timberwolves’ sense of urgency in Game 3, urging his team to bounce back in Monday’s contest. For Gilgeous-Alexander, getting off to a quick start is crucial.
Article Continues Below
Otherwise, the Thunder could find themselves heading back to Oklahoma City with the Eastern Conference Finals tied. After Saturday’s loss, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered his honest take during his postgame media availability.
“To sum it up: we just didn’t have it. They obviously had it with the sense of urgency, knowing if they go down 3-0, it’s gonna be pretty tough,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But it felt they eased into the game, and they didn’t, and they blitzed us pretty early.
“And we were never able to get back because of it. They just came out with a sense of urgency, and we didn’t. On top of that, when we play a really good team, it looks like that. So we gotta start and come out with a sense of urgency.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after losing Game 3:
“To sum it up: we just didn’t have it. They obviously had it with a sense of urgency, knowing if they go down 3-0 it’s gonna be pretty tough… so we gotta start and come out with a sense of urgency” pic.twitter.com/YIq1g0QnN4
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 25, 2025
