Mark Daigneault Articles - Page 2

OKLAHOMA CITY — From the outset, coach Mark Daigneault knew Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams was a unique talent. After team practice ahead of Game 5, Daigneault reflected on Williams’ growth over the years. In only his third season, Williams emerged as one of the NBA’s rising stars in 2024-25. Jalen earned an All-Star […]

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 […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder evened the 2025 NBA Finals with a 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4, but took 38 free throw attempts in the process, much to fans’ dismay. Regardless of the high number of attempts, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault did not think fouls had any influence on his team’s […]

With their backs against the wall, the Oklahoma City Thunder stormed into Game 4 and secured a hard-fought 111–104 win over the Indiana Pacers that tied the 2025 NBA Finals at two games apiece. In a series defined by razor-thin margins and shifting momentum, the Thunder once again rose to the moment. Adding to the […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into Game 4 of the NBA Finals knowing they needed a win to regain control of the series. Facing a hostile crowd and a red-hot Indiana Pacers team, the young Thunder squad found themselves once again leaning on their rising defensive anchor. And Chet Holmgren delivered exactly what they needed. […]

Mark Daigneault had high praises towards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after his clutch performance in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Friday night. In 40 minutes of action, Gilgeous-Alexander dominated on the scoring front. He finished with a stat line of 35 points, three […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t in full must-win mode just yet, but they are in desperate need of a win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers stole Game 1 in Oklahoma City before taking Game 3 at home to take a 2-1 lead in the series. For Mark […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder aim to tie up the series again after falling 2-1 in a 116-107 Game 3 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Indiana found a way to pressure Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which seemed to be a key issue for Oklahoma City. Head coach Mark Daigneault opened up about how to deal with that pressure […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming into Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers in what’s essentially a must-win situation. Although they have Game 5 at home, a 3-1 deficit is not something the Thunder want to face. During his pregame press conference, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault spoke about what they […]

INDIANAPOLIS — Ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-1, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is entering the biggest game of his young coaching career. However, he’s not concerned about the potential emotional toll that can resonate through an NBA team competing for a championship. Never too high […]

Heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a number of players high up on their scouting report. Tyrese Haliburton? Yup, any evaluation of the Thunder has to begin with the former Sacramento Kings draftee. Pascal Siakam? Sure thing, he won Eastern Conference Finals MVP for a reason and remains […]

Bennedict Mathurin’s first playoff run has had plenty of ups and downs. The third-year guard out of Arizona has not been a prominent member of the Indiana Pacers’ rotation through the first three rounds, with head coach Rick Carlisle typically giving him around 10 to 15 minutes a night. But against the Oklahoma City Thunder, […]

Mark Daigneault understood what went wrong for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 116-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Wednesday night. The Thunder and Pacers exchanged blows throughout the first three quarters, but the fourth quarter proved to be the turning point. Indiana outscored their opponents […]

INDIANAPOLIS — It is rare in today’s NBA to see one player traded for another. That is what happened one year ago when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso. He may not be the most athletic, nor a top-scoring option when he is on the court, but […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back after suffering a crushing 111-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals to pick up a 123-107 victory in Game 2 on Sunday night. Given the way the first game of this series played out, it was crucial the Thunder won Game 2, […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have evened the NBA Finals at one game apiece with a dominant 123–107 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 at Paycom Center. Just days after their heartbreaking collapse in the series opener, the Thunder came out with intensity and never looked back, delivering a statement win that reignited their […]

Chet Holmgren delivered a solid performance to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Sunday night. This prompted praise from head coach Mark Daigneault. In 28 minutes of action, Holmgren finished with 15 points, six rebounds, an assist, and a block. He shot […]

Before the Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA Finals, their toughest playoff series in the Western Conference was the semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets pushed the Thunder to seven games before Oklahoma City emerged victorious. One of the Thunder’s adjustments that was credited as being a key turning point in the series was […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — For the first time in the postseason, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault changed his starting lineup in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Instead of starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, he elected to go with Cason Wallace, which begs the question: does Daigneault stick with the new lineup or revert to […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the Oklahoma City Thunder played one of their worst games of the entire season in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 38 points, and the Thunder’s elite defense forced 25 turnovers. However, the Indiana Pacers, who led for […]

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed Chet Holmgren’s struggles in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and delivered a strong defense of the 23-year-old big man while acknowledging the team’s overall underwhelming effort. Ahead of Sunday night’s Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, Daigneault spoke with ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel and other members of […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were not able to close out Game 1 of the NBA Finals and lost 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder were in control for the entire game until the final seconds, when they were not able to execute. Head coach Mark Daigneault made a few decisions toward the end of […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot topped a critical 12-3 run against head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder. With 0.3 seconds left, Haliburton sealed a 111-110 victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Before Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed a lesson he learned from the Thunder’s fourth-quarter […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a regular season where the Oklahoma City Thunder finished with a 24-58 record, head coach Mark Daigneault saw glimmers of hope. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Defensive guard Lu Dort are the only remaining starters from the 2021-22 squad, and Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins, a rookie at the time, still come […]

As the Oklahoma City Thunder look to win the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the team will still have its hands full as their Eastern Conference opponent has had an impressive playoff run. While Thunder’s Mark Daigneault has shown respect to fellow head coach Rick Carlisle, he would also shout out the entire team […]

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault knows his team will have its hands full in trying to contain Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA Finals. Daigneault knows Rick Carlisle leads a confident squad, shocking the league with its unanticipated run through the Eastern Conference to face the Thunder. The alpha star has […]

Before facing off in the 2025 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault paid his respects to Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. After Daigneault discussed Sam Presti’s relationship influencing the Thunder, he addressed Carlisle guiding his Pacers to beating the New York Knicks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Mark has a […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play their most anticipated game since June 12, 2012. The franchise returns to the NBA Finals spotlight come Thursday. This time the Indiana Pacers stand in the way for the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso and company. The last Thunder team featured veterans with previous title winning […]

Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Alex Caruso reflected on the disrespect he receives, defending Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic, and his full-circle moment with his head coach, Mark Daigneault. The two have come a long way from the G League to the NBA Finals. When the Chicago Bulls traded Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey, […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — After coaching the Oklahoma City Blue, the organization’s G League affiliate, for five seasons, GM Sam Presti named Mark Daigneault the Oklahoma City Thunder head coach. He joined Billy Donovan’s coaching staff as an assistant before taking over. Then, four seasons later, Daigneault guided the Thunder to the NBA Finals, leading a […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Four wins from an NBA title, head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder navigated the 2024-25 campaign without expectations. Daigneault’s meticulous approach forces his team to focus on what’s in front of them, one play, quarter, half, and game at a time, rather than looking ahead or setting benchmarks. For […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are onto the NBA Finals, and it’s been a long time coming, especially for head coach Mark Daigneault and 3-and-D star Alex Caruso. While much of Oklahoma City’s core is homegrown, Caruso and Daigneault’s history with each other dates back even further than when Daigneault became the Thunder head coach or […]

The NBA Finals now have their first finalist. Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the Western Conference crown with a resounding 124-94 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5. But to truly understand the Thunder’s dominance, you have to look at how completely the Timberwolves unraveled. In the series finale, […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the 2025 NBA Finals after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. It’s the franchise’s first conference title in 12 years. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named MVP of the series. Then, Thunder head coach Mark […]

After a series filled with ups, downs, and historic performances, the Oklahoma City Thunder have officially become the Western Conference Champions, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in a pivotal Game 5 at the Paycom Center. The Thunder threw more at the T-Wolves than they could handle, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in another MVP-caliber performance, and in […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the best team in basketball all season long, and they proved that and more during the Western Conference Finals. After getting an epic Game 4 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to take a 3-1 series lead on Monday night, the Thunder made a statement with a dominant 124-94 victory […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched his team bounce back from a historic 42-point loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In a tightly-contested matchup, the Thunder turned in arguably their best performance of the postseason to take a 3-1 lead. Their 128-126 win, […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from going to the NBA Finals after taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night. The Thunder dominated the first two games of the series at home, but Minnesota had quite the answer in Game 3. The Timberwolves […]

Jalen Williams stepped onto the court in Game 4 with calm confidence and left it as one of the biggest reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder are one win away from the NBA Finals. The second-year forward poured in 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting, including 6-of-9 from deep. He added five assists, three rebounds, and three […]