OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched Isaiah Joe record his tenth 20+ point game of the regular season in a 139-96 rout against the Los Angeles Lakers. Joe scored 20 points, including six threes in 13 minutes. He added to the Thunder's avalanche of scoring in the third quarter that led to the 43-point victory, which is the Lakers' worst loss of the regular season.
After the game, Daigneault highlighted Joe's impact during his postgame media availability.
“He was good. They played a lot of zone tonight. In the third quarter, they tried doubling the ball quite a bit and he's a threat in those situations, especially, and he proved that tonight in transition, as well. He's a great player because he's got a great floor game. He's got a great defensive floor game,” Daigneault said.
“It allows you to play him through the ups and downs of a game or of his shooting. But when he has the shooting potency like he had tonight, he's obviously, incredibly impactful. When they were trying to cut into what was a large lead in the third, he blew the game open with his shot-making.”
Amid the Thunder's five-game home stand, Joe has connected on 13-of-26 from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City has won four straight and will face the Lakers in its final meeting of the regular season next Tuesday.
Mark Daigneault on Lu Dort's impact for Thunder
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed Lu Dort's impact in Thursday's blowout win against the Lakers. Daigneault says the Thunder's five-game home stand has been good for Dort, especially on the offensive end of the floor.
“He obviously hasn't shot the ball this year as well as he has in the past,” Daigneault said. “But lately, he's come alive a little bit, and then, he really had the juice tonight defensively in the start of that game. Then, the New York game recently, on Sunday, was one of his better defensive games as well. He's obviously a huge part of our defense and what we do, and he continues to take good shots, and the right shots, and that's all we're asking him to do on offense.”
The Thunder will host the Jazz on Sunday.
