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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault wants his team to head into Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers almost as if they’re trailing in their best-of-7 series. That’s how close the Thunder came to losing Game 4 before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander resuscitated the Thunder’s offense in the fourth quarter.
For Daigneault, that’s no recipe for sustained success, especially on the biggest stage — the NBA Finals — with an opportunity to push the Pacers to the brink of elimination in Game 5.
“It’s challenging. We’re playing against a great team that’s pushing us to the limit. Hopefully, we’re pushing them to the limit in the same way,” Daigneault said. “There’s nothing comfortable about these games. It’s a challenging opponent that’s really testing us. We just need to approach those challenges as opportunities. That’s what our guys do. They do a great job of it. We have to be better. We did not control that game. We won it, fortunately.
“But we did not control that game. So, we have to almost approach this like a loss in terms of really needing to look into the mirror and make some critical adjustments if we want to give ourselves a better chance to control Game 5, and not just hope to win it,” Daigneault concluded.
Mark Daigneault’s mindset heading into Game 5:
“There’s nothing comfortable about these games… we have to be better… We did not control that game. We won it, fortunately. But we did not control that game. So, we have to almost approach this like a loss” pic.twitter.com/MmSMjVVHhC
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) June 15, 2025
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault watched his team's defense hold the Pacers to 17 fourth-quarter points, while Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points in the last five minutes salvaged a seven-point victory in Game 4, and possibly the Thunder’s season, by avoiding a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stresses Thunder’s ‘need’ to improve
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Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says his team will improve in Game 5. It’s imperative if they want to beat a hungry Pacers team that’s coming off a Game 4 loss that slipped between their fingers in the last five minutes of Friday’s 111-104 loss.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder can’t let history repeat itself in Game 5 on Monday.
“Whatever it takes to win has always been our mindset. It’s all that really matters with us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Now, it’s harder to win the way we played last game, over the course of time, and we have to correct that if we want to come out on top. So, we’re grateful and thankful we did enough to get a win, but we’re not trying to rely on the way we played last game. We need to be better, and we’re going to be better.”
The Thunder will look to grab a 3-2 lead in Game 5 against the Pacers.
