Mark Daigneault fails to get the ball to SGA at the end of back-to-back Thunder losses

OKLAHOMA CITY — Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves on the wrong end of two straight defeats was decided by a final game that did not end with a ball in the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s hands. After scoring 47 points in a 117-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off Sunday’s 103-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors as one of “those nights” when the pendulum swung in the Raptors’ favor by two points.

But covering Shai in Toronto was an afterthought. Gilgeous-Alexander entered halftime with nine points on 2-of-4 shooting before going a perfect 4-for-4 in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 23 points, but couldn’t get a look down the stretch. SGA scored its only field goal of the fourth quarter at the 5:40 mark to extend the Thunder’s lead to six points.

He made a free throw to extend the Thunder’s lead to two (97-95) just before the 2 minute mark, his final point of the night. Then Immanuel Quickley drained back-to-back 3-pointers. The Thunder responded with back-to-back 3-point attempts by Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams, two reserves Daigno would normally bench in the final minute of a game.

“It felt like we were in control of the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the loss. “We looked good offensively. They had 103 points tonight. That usually works for us.”

Without All-Star Jaylen Williams and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in the lineup, Kenrich has taken on a bigger role, including spot starts in Hartenstein’s absence, and the same could be said for Wiggins, who started for Jalen. Thunder head coach Marc Daigneault inspires confidence at a high level in all his players, and it shows when half his rotation is on the side.

Guys like Kenrich and Wiggins aren’t afraid to make big shots that could decide a game and, respectively, drain big shots in the fourth quarter during their time with the Thunder. Daigneault doesn’t often offer to attack one particular player, instead letting the opposing defense dictate Oklahoma City’s next move. However, plays out of timeouts when trailing in the final minute of the fourth quarter should almost always be designed for SGA.

He needs to find a way to get the ball into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands, especially in the final minute of a one-possession game. The Thunder, who were missing two starters in Sunday’s game, Alec Caruso and Ajay Mitchell, got a boost from Holmgren’s return. However, Oklahoma City’s fate was decided on the next play by Daign and the Thunder.

Chet Holmgren’s try over Scotty Barnes in Thunder loss

Thunder forward Chet Holmgren made two dribbles to his left and pulled away contested 7-foot jump shot blocked by Scotty Barnes with 28.6 seconds left. After the Thunder intentionally fouled the Raptors to stop the clock, the Raptors grabbed an offensive rebound. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander never had a say in Sunday’s two-point loss. Does Holmgren’s forced try fall on the shoulders of coach Mark Deno?

While it’s encouraging to see Holmgren at a critical time in the game, and he just scored on the Thunder’s previous possession, this was an ideal opportunity to give the ball to Gilgeous-Alexander. Not setting up the reigning MVP for a better effort should be a priority, or maybe Holmgren didn’t execute the play the way Daigneault drew it up.

Barnes BLOCKS Chet Holmgren’s shot. Toronto regains possession with 21.7 seconds left, clinging to a 101-99 lead.

What a stop on a Thunder timeout pic.twitter.com/6saRv544ji

— Joshua Pavon (@joe_svai) January 26, 2026

While fouling Jamal Sheed paid off in his missed free throws, fouling Immanuel Quickley, who made two of his own to make it a one-possession game, it didn’t. The Thunder gave up a costly rebound that would have given Daign a chance to put the ball in SGA’s hands.

Without enough time to score and send the Raptors to the line once again, Wiggins’ long two-pointer crashed through the bottom of the net as the clock expired in the Thunder’s two-point loss at the Pike Center.

The Thunder’s loss to the Raptors comes on the heels of a three-point rout by the Pacers that ended with Isaiah Joe’s 3-pointer dribble deep into the corner for a desperation three to send the game into overtime that bounced off the rim as the game clock expired.

A pair of 3-pointers by the Raptors’ Immanuel Quickley put the Thunder in a hole they never got out of, as Holmgren’s quick, contested shot marked Oklahoma City’s second straight home loss and just its fifth of the season.

“Obviously they made some shots and some plays. We didn’t. When you get to that point of the game, it comes down to time management, clock management — I thought we did it decently and gave ourselves a chance,” Daigneault said. “But when you get into a game that close, it’s going to come down to mistakes and misses. And the trick is: Can you play a ground game for 48 where you have more control of it up until that point?”

“But we found ourselves in that situation the last few nights. We did a decent job of trying to give ourselves a chance to win. We didn’t come up with it, but that still doesn’t mean we can’t learn from it.”

Holmgren finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds. Lou Dort hit four 3-pointers on his way to 19 points, and Kenrich Williams led the Thunder bench with 15 points and five rebounds.

Did SGA allude to not getting the ball in the Thunder loss?

Coach Marc Daigneault understands that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is used to being double-teamed by opposing teams when he has the ball in his hands. For most teams, that’s a necessary approach for the reigning MVP and scoring champion, especially if you have the personnel to do it effectively, which was undoubtedly the case with the Raptors. Scotty Barnes leads a top-5 defense.

And with Thunder All-Defensive forward Jaylen Williams and rim-protecting center Isaiah Hartenstein in street clothes for Sunday’s matchup at the Pike Center, Barnes and the Raptors’ game plan to limit Gilgeous-Alexander worked. It was enough for the Raptors to either stay ahead or within striking distance as SGA’s only significant run came in its 11-point third quarter.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault turned to Holmgren for a tie game that didn’t last more than six seconds into the 24-second shot clock as Chet appeared to jump the gun a bit with Barnes, an All-Defensive Team candidate, right in front of him. After the loss, a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander about his approach when teams constantly gang him up and try to disrupt his offensive rhythm.

“Just play basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander replied. “The goal of the offensive game is to put two guys on the ball. And there, you just play, whether they volunteer to put two or you have to force two, it’s the same thing. Yeah, just play basketball.”

Sunday’s loss marked the first time the Thunder have lost two consecutive games at the Pike Center since November 2023.