Marc Daigneault’s candid look at OKC’s ‘mental toughness’ after win against Raptors

Head coach Mark Daigneault and shorthand Oklahoma City Thunder watched their 25-point lead against the Toronto Raptors disappear in the fourth quarter, but still won 116-107 on Tuesday. In one more time Thunder match without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williamsamong other things, Oklahoma City responded with a 15-6 run to secure its third straight win without its two leading scorers.

With the score tied at 101 going forward, the Thunder defense forced back-to-back turnovers as Kaison Wallace (27 points), who tied his career high, and Isaiah Joe (22 points) made key shots to keep the Raptors at bay. Daigneault he reflected on his team’s composure after a tough road win.

“It becomes a very tough game to win when you blow a lead like that and they come back and tie it,” Daigneault said. “Even the Cleveland game over the weekend was like that; we had an early lead. They came all the way back in the game. They took the lead. It takes a lot of mental toughness to get to the next possession.”

“Cason was brilliant all night, but he was huge in that stretch. He had four straight points. And then he found Isaiah. So he scored seven points right off the tie that broke the game open. But great mental toughness from the team.”

Wallace (11-for-16) and Joe (six 3-pointers) combined for 18-for-30 shooting, including 10-for-16 from deep. Alex Caruso led the bench with 16 points.

Marc Daigneault impressed with Thunder’s poise amid injuries

Head coach Mark Daigneault praised the Thunder for their courage in adjusting to playing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for such a long period, stretching back to January. Similar to Sunday’s match, where The Thunder coughed up a 20+ point deficit against the Cavs, the defending champions stayed the course.

For Daigneault, it’s a testament to the Thunder’s ability to adjust and make changes on the fly against the Raptors, which was, in many ways, the story of the defending champions’ regular season.

“You can’t control your circumstances. We always want to be completely healthy and have everything. But when you’re dealt, you have to play the best you can, and we’re trying to be optimistic,” Daigneault said. “And we try to be a team that uses circumstances to our advantage, and tries to take advantage of that in every situation, even if it’s a challenge to build some momentum. The guys did an amazing job.”

“They see things like this as a challenge. And that’s one of the special things about this group of guys. And they’ve done a great job since the break, sure, but even going into the break,” Daigneault concluded.

Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Mitchell (abdominal strain/left ankle sprain) will be re-evaluated this week, while Williams (right hamstring) will wait a week. The Thunder will meet the Pistons for the second night of back-to-back games on Wednesday.