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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Mark Daigneault planted ‘seeds' to Thunder's NBA Finals growth
The post How Mark Daigneault planted 'seeds' to Thunder's NBA Finals growth appeared first on ClutchPoints. OKLAHOMA CITY — In a regular season where the Oklahoma City Thunder finished with a 24-58 record, head coach Mark Daigneault saw glimmers of hope. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Defensive guard Lu Dort are the only remaining starters from the 2021-22 squad, and Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins, a rookie at the time, still come off the bench for Daigneault. Still, so much has changed as the Thunder are the favorites entering the NBA Finals. Advertisement After winning 22 and 24 games in back-to-back seasons, the Thunder finished with 40 wins in 2022-23, then finished with the best record in the Western Conference with a 57-25 mark last season, to a franchise-record 68 wins this year. During NBA Finals Media Day, Daigneault reflected on those early years that set the stage for his first NBA Finals appearance. 'There were very early flickers even in those early years. Those were challenging years at different times. Certainly, they looked like challenging years on paper,' Daigneault said. 'How it felt every day wasn't a reflection of our record or our standing in the league; you could feel that something was starting to simmer. You could feel that some of the seeds we were planting were going to be flowering at some point. There were very early indications of that, even in those seasons. 'So, we were confident even back then. Not necessarily that we'd be in the Finals right now. You never know the timing of when things come together. But we were confident that we were building something special and something that had the ability to sustain,' Daigneault concluded. For Daigneault and the Thunder, the early habits translated into wins, which built confidence both individually and as a team. Advertisement 'Then, as time went on, there were just more and more experiences that gave us more confidence in that, but that belief existed at the earliest point in time,' Daigneault added. 'A lot of that had to do with the way the guys were approaching every day, independent of the outcome of the games.' Now, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is in the NBA Finals. Chet Holmgren's 17 winners Thunder take before NBA Finals Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Thunder forward Chet Holmgren says his team's confidence resonates throughout all of his teammates. It's what's led to a successful season, where the Thunder are four wins away from an NBA title. Advertisement 'The biggest thing is playing for each other. It's the type of guys that we have here,' Holmgren said. 'Everybody's going to tell you that they're a winner, and everybody is a winner until it's inconvenient for them. I feel like we have a team with 17 winners that are going to put winning at the top.' The Thunder will host the Pacers in Game 1. Related: Why Pacers' Aaron Nesmith is ready for SGA after Jalen Brunson battle Related: Thunder's Chet Holmgren makes '17 winners' declaration ahead of NBA Finals
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans React to Slow-Mo Video of Tyrese Haliburton's Game-Winner vs. OKC
Fans React to Slow-Mo Video of Tyrese Haliburton's Game-Winner vs. OKC originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers are up 1-0 in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder thanks to Tyrese Haliburton. Advertisement The two-time All-Star did not have the best of games on Thursday night, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, six assists, a block, three turnovers and two three-pointers in 39 minutes of action. Haliburton, however, stepped it up for the Pacers when it mattered the most. The 6-foot-5 point guard knocked down a game-winning jumper, leaving just 0.3 seconds on the game clock to lead Indiana to a thrilling 111-110 victory. The NBA posted a couple of slow-mo videos of Haliburton's incredible shot, and as expected, it drew quite a lot of reactions from the fans on social media. The folks on Instagram were left utterly impressed by Haliburton's heroics for the Pacers. Advertisement "This could be one of the most clutch playoff runs ever by a player," a comment read. "Straight cinema 🎥" said another. "Poetry in motion," declared a user. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during NBA Finals Media Day at Paycom Adams-Imagn Images "This was tough," a reaction read. "Overrate that," another said. "This cam is amazing 🔥 Haliburton has been using it a lot lately," a fan wrote. The Thunder came into Game 1 at Paycom Center as the favorites, and they proved why this was the case for virtually the entire game. It wasn't until Haliburton's shot found the bottom of the net with just 0.3 seconds remaining that the Pacers took their first lead of the evening. Indiana led this game for just three-tenths of a second, but it was enough for them to escape with what could very well be a series-defining victory. Advertisement Related: Historic NBA Finals News Announced on Thursday Related: Shaquille O'Neal's Unexpected Move During ESPN's NBA Finals Broadcast Grabs Attention Related: NBA Finals Features Unexpected Caitlin Clark Twist This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Nets HC Steve Nash praised by Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Former Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash had quite the career in the NBA with what he did as a player after spending 18 years in the league. Nash tried to continue his legacy through coaching in Brooklyn and while that didn't work out in his favor, he still found a way to influence one of the best players in the Association today that hails from Canada. "It would be amazing (to win the championship during his MVP season). Steve, obviously, [he's] the pioneer for Canadian basketball," Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are looking to take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday, but he gave some praise to Nash for what he did, not only for him, but for Canada as well. Advertisement "He started the whole thing, I guess you can say," Gilgeous-Alexander continued. "From the way he plays, to the way he carries himself, to his approach to the game. I learned so much from Steve being a 17-year-old kid in two weeks of time that helped me get here, for sure. The things he's done with Canada basketball in a hole and just push the culture forward, it's been amazing." Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is not only coming off the first MVP award of his seven-year career, but he is doing that for an Oklahoma City team that is looking like a team that's here to stay thanks to their best players being in their early-to-mid 20's. As of this writing, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of 25 current NBA players in the league right now and he's the second Canadian player on the Thunder along with guard Lugentz Dort. Nash came to America to play college basketball at Santa Clara University and from there, he worked his way into being the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Nash also spent his time in the league playing for the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring after the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Former Nets HC Steve Nash praised by Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Nets HC Steve Nash praised by Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Former Nets HC Steve Nash praised by Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Former Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash had quite the career in the NBA with what he did as a player after spending 18 years in the league. Nash tried to continue his legacy through coaching in Brooklyn and while that didn't work out in his favor, he still found a way to influence one of the best players in the Association today that hails from Canada. "It would be amazing (to win the championship during his MVP season). Steve, obviously, [he's] the pioneer for Canadian basketball," Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are looking to take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday, but he gave some praise to Nash for what he did, not only for him, but for Canada as well. "He started the whole thing, I guess you can say," Gilgeous-Alexander continued. "From the way he plays, to the way he carries himself, to his approach to the game. I learned so much from Steve being a 17-year-old kid in two weeks of time that helped me get here, for sure. The things he's done with Canada basketball in a hole and just push the culture forward, it's been amazing." Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is not only coming off the first MVP award of his seven-year career, but he is doing that for an Oklahoma City team that is looking like a team that's here to stay thanks to their best players being in their early-to-mid 20's. As of this writing, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of 25 current NBA players in the league right now and he's the second Canadian player on the Thunder along with guard Lugentz Dort. Nash came to America to play college basketball at Santa Clara University and from there, he worked his way into being the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Nash also spent his time in the league playing for the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring after the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign.
Indianapolis Star
04-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Pacers' Aaron Nesmith says ankle ready for NBA Finals: 'I was looking forward to these days off'
Aaron Nesmith needed every kind of treatment imaginable to get his right ankle ready for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after spraining it in Game 3. "It took a lot," Nesmith told reporters at NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. "It was pretty much rehab every minute of that day. It was cold tub, game-ready, hyperbaric chambers, it was red light therapy. It was manual wave, it was shock wave. Anything you could name we kinda threw it at the ankle, but there was no chance I was missing that game." Nesmith gritted through 32 minutes in Game 4 but was held to 15 minutes in Game 5 and 19 minutes in Game 6. He acknowledged his ankle was a little more stiff, and he got in foul trouble with five fouls in Game 6. But the Pacers clinching in six gave them five days to recover. Nesmith said that time was quite helpful. "I needed 'em," Nesmith said. "I was looking forward to these days off. I took 'em, and I'll be ready." Nesmith is averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in these playoffs. His 30-point performance in Game 1 against the Knicks was critical in the Pacers' comeback win. He's shooting 50.3% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range in the series.
