The league-best 68-14 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder discover themselves in a pickle towards the Denver Nuggets and head coach Mark Daigneault’s blunders within the clutch are among the many causes they’re on this place.
Now trailing 2-1 within the collection after a tense, 113-104 extra time loss in Sport 3, the Thunder are compelled to play with some desperation in Sport 4.
Among the many 293 to groups take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven collection, solely 13 have have didn’t win.
However ought to the Thunder be confronted with this predicament within the first place? They led by 13 with beneath seven minutes remaining in Sport 1. In addition they led by three with beneath a minute remaining in regulation with possession of the ball in Sport 3. Ending up on the dropping aspect of each eventualities is just not reflective of a 68-win group.
MVP favourite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ought to shoulder a large chunk of the blame in Sport 3 for an underwhelming efficiency. The league’s main scorer completed with simply 18 factors on 22 discipline objective makes an attempt and solely acquired to the free-throw line 5 instances.
A few of the tactical selections in each Sport 1 and Sport 3, although, stick out like a sore thumb.
What Was Daigneault’s Sport 1 Blunder?
Probably the most weird side of the Sport 1 loss was how early within the clock the Thunder dedicated to fouling the Nuggets to stop a 3-point try.
The primary situation was when Denver was popping out of a timeout trailing 117-114 with 13.9 seconds remaining. Alex Caruso dedicated an intentional foul on Nikola Jokic 35 ft away from the basket with solely a second coming off the clock.
Shortly after Jokic made each free throws, the Thunder inbounded to Gilgeous-Alexander and he had a transparent path to the basket. He dunked the ball with just one.8 seconds coming off the clock when he simply might have killed off one other three our 4 seconds. As an 89 p.c free-throw shooter, it wasn’t a lot of of venture.
Then got here the worst mistake of all. The largest profit that emerged from Gilgeous-Alexander scoring earlier than getting fouled was Jokic was off the courtroom and couldn’t verify again in. Christian Braun inbounded with 11.1 seconds to Aaron Gordon, who Caruso fouled with simply 0.4 seconds coming off the clock.
So, in impact, Denver was in a position to rating 4 factors in 2.2 seconds, regardless of not having any timeouts remaining. The Nuggets’ greatest enemy on this second was the clock and Oklahoma Metropolis’s early foul technique made it their buddy.
Now, there have been 9.5 seconds remaining when Chet Holmgren went to the road as a substitute of what ought to have been fewer than 5. It took 5 seconds from Holmgren’s second missed free throw to Gordon’s launch for the game-winning three.
Bear in mind, this was a Denver group coming off an exhausting seven-game collection towards the Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder had per week off and had each motive to be the group that completed stronger. They couldn’t discover certainly one of them.
I hate how Mark Daigneault has managed these finish video games for the Thunder.
Blew Sport 1 with the fouling technique.
And he ought to’ve known as a timeout on the finish of regulation in Sport 3. Beginning OT with out Chet was terrible too. And what was that bizarre problem earlier within the 4th? https://t.co/p5vuehozvI
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) Could 10, 2025
What Was Daigneault’s Sport 3 Blunder?
Coming down the stretch of this one, the Nuggets more and more seemed a group displaying championship pedigree and poise. In the meantime, the Thunder have been getting more and more slowed down on the offensive finish and displaying an absence of verve.
Daigneault had two timeouts and each carried over unused into extra time.
There was a chance with beneath 50 seconds remaining and the Thunder up three holding possession he let go. Then, there was one other when Oklahoma Metropolis was holding for the ultimate shot with the sport tied.
Gilgeous-Alexander had turn into more and more targeted on producing offense on his personal down the stretch. He might have on the very least used a reminder Jalen Williams was having an incredible recreation and had 16 fourth-quarter factors.
If that wasn’t sufficient, Daigneault additionally inexplicably selected to start out the extra time body with Holmgren on the bench. He missed the primary 90 seconds, which the Nuggets used to go up 5.
OKC’s offensive possessions in final 5 minutes of the 4th:
SGA missed PU2 vs Murray (0 passes)
Jalen Williams made layup vs AG (1 go)
Jalen Williams miss at rim + 2 OREB misses (0 passes)
AFTER A TIME OUT, SGA missed SB3 vs Murray, 1* go (Jalen Williams introduced the ball…
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) Could 10, 2025
Can Daigneault Rise To The Event Shifting Ahead?
Oklahoma Metropolis has really performed effectively sufficient to steer this collection 3-0. There are definitely different sides of the sport the gamers have to carry themselves accountable to. Daigneault embraced that actuality post-game.
Mark Daigneault:
“What I might say is like we’re within the technique of turning into a terrific group and we’ve checked numerous bins in that course of and one factor that it takes to be a terrific group is you get taken to the restrict within the playoffs” pic.twitter.com/cqECGFZXRV
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) Could 10, 2025
On the finish of the day, none of those “bins” could be beneath a magnifying glass if Daigneault hadn’t made these clear blunders. There’s a degree of urgency required within the playoffs he hasn’t fairly proven but.
It’s one factor to be cool and calm within the face of adversity but it surely’s solely one other to be oblivious to it.
If the Thunder are going to bounce again on this collection, Daigneault has to point out he can rise to the event.
