Chet Holmgren credits Mark Daigneault after connecting on a dagger-3 against the Timberwolves

OKLAHOMA CITY — After connecting on a 3-pointer to extend the Thunder’s lead to four in the final minute of Wednesday’s 113-105 NBA Cup victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chet Holmgren discussed Mark Daigneault‘s influence. Daigneault challenged the Thunder to play better after one of Oklahoma City’s toughest wins of the regular season.

After the win, Holmgren credited Daigneault instilling confidence in Chat to make a shot like the one against the Timberwolves in the final minute of the final frame.

“Obviously, it was great. It helped us win the game, and that’s what it’s all about,” Holmgren said. “Not everything was going my way all night. I just had to hang in there. Coach trusted me to be there to close the game. So I just tried to do whatever I could to help us win.”

Chet Holmgren finished with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including his only three, making it a two-possession game for the Thunder down the stretch.

“In the biggest games, you’re going to have to make a number of plays, and it’s great to see those situations in the regular season,” Holmgren said. “That doesn’t mean you want to let the team hang around. If you can put them away, you want to do that. But they’re all great experiences for us, and we’ve been in those situations a lot in the past. And we’ll continue to learn from them and get better in those moments.”

The Thunder improved to 18-1, the best record in the league, and extended their winning streak to 10.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Thunder’s approach to winning the NBA Cup

After Grom’s head coach Marc Daigneault pointed out what needs to be improvedafter Wednesday’s win against the Timberwolves, All-Star Shai Gilges-Alexander said the gutsy win was a testament to his team’s growth.

“It took poise. It took effort. It took communication, energy, all the things you need to win possessions, win basketball games in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And this team has done a really good job of doing some things and learning how to build that skill. And it just showed tonight. It just showed. We’ve done it a lot of times. No matter what the game looks like, you have to do certain things to have an advantage over your opponent.

“We had to grind it out tonight. It looked a little different, but we did it.”

The Thunder’s win against the Timberwolves is the defending champion’s 10th in a row.