Thunder's Mark Daigneault honestly explains why Warriors deserves upset win
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Even after Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 52 points, it wasn’t enough as the team lost to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, 116-109. Though the Warriors ruined a masterful performance from the Thunder star, head coach Mark Daigneault would give credit where credit is due after the game.
When speaking to the media for his post-game press conference, Daigneault would shout out Golden State for their performance against Golden State. He would even go as far as to say that “they deserved to win” over themselves because of how well they played compared to the Thunder according to Nick Gallo.
“[Golden State] played really well tonight,” Daigneault said. “Both ends of the floor, they’re really physical. Then on the offensive end, they obviously had good shot-making after they got out of the first quarter and they deserved to win.”
It was a great start for the Thunder as Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points in the first period, outscoring the entire Warriors team as they had 20. However, they would start to get a groove on both sides of the ball as the opposite happened for Oklahoma City who lagged after a successful first period.
“It sucks. Me personally, I play to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said via Bleacher Report. “Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don’t win, I am not satisfied. So maybe my 52 points tonight wasn’t in the best interest of the team.”
Like with any loss though, Oklahoma City could be considered to be one of the best-prepared teams coming out of a defeat as proven by their strict “0-0 mentality.”
Thunder on a strictly “0-0 mentality”
According to The Athletic, Daigneault hones his team on staying present and not worrying about the result the day before.
"It's not really a competitive thing. It's a life thing," Daigneault said. "You don't want to be thinking about the past. You don't want to be thinking about the future. Life is lived in the moment. The game is played in the moment."
"I think part of my job with the team is to keep the team present for the 82 games," Daigneault continued. "You can't go back and replay anything in the past, you can't skip ahead. The game we have right now is tonight's game. The only way you improve through the season is if you're present in that process."
As Gilgeous-Alexander is no doubt in the running for MVP, it could be because of the mental leap he has taken this season.
"In the past, I've been hyper-focused on efficiency," Gilgeous-Alexander said via The Athletic. "In moments, I would not defer, but I would be conscious of it, and I think it would affect my decision making. This year, I think I've gotten over the hump of not worrying about efficiency and just playing and being aggressive and seeing where I end up."
"I try to be as aggressive and intelligent as I can be in every moment," Gilgeous-Alexander continued. "Make the right play, and make the play I'm comfortable making. No matter the moment or situation, I try not to waver from that, it's been going well for me. It's something I've had to learn."
Consequently, the team is 37-9 as they next face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday as they are still No. 1 in the West.
The post Thunder’s Mark Daigneault honestly explains why Warriors deserves upset win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
