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Thunder’s Mark Daigneault ripped to shreds for questionable Game 1 coaching decisions
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- Thunder’s Mark Daigneault ripped to shreds for questionable Game 1 coaching decisions
The post Thunder's Mark Daigneault ripped to shreds for questionable Game 1 coaching decisions appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Oklahoma City Thunder were not able to close out Game 1 of the NBA Finals and lost 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers . The Thunder were in control for the entire game until the final seconds, when they were not able to execute.
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Head coach Mark Daigneault made a few decisions toward the end of the game that may have changed the outcome, such as going small and electing to sit both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein .
That came back to bite them, as they were outrebounded 56-39. After the game, many people pointed to that specific decision as to why the Thunder may have lost.
"Mark Daigneault's biggest regret might be canceling his big men, especially Chet Holmgren. The Thunder were outscored by nine points in the minutes Holmgren and Hartenstein were both off of the floor in the fourth quarter," one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Mark Daigneault tries to get cute and thinks he's out smarting everyone in every game. Once OKC went small guard lineup pacers went on the run. WTF is he thinking? Get Chet or Ihart in there. What a weirdo man," another user wrote.
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Another decision that many people didn't understand was inserting Cason Wallace into the starting lineup.
"Cason Wallace a good role player but what is Mark Daigneault over obsession with him. He doesn't need to play as many minutes as he plays and he damn sure don't need to be in clutch time when they got like 5 other players better than him," one user wrote.
It will be interesting to see what adjustments Daigneault decides to make in Game 2.
Mark Daigneault shares thoughts on Thunder Game 1 loss
After their loss against the Thunder, Daigneault shared his thoughts about the game.
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"The biggest experience we've had is understanding that every game is a new game," Daigneault said. "The most important game in the series is always the next one, regardless of the outcome. We would have liked to win tonight, but tonight was a starting point, not an endpoint."
The Thunder caused 19 turnovers against the Pacers in the first half, but they were only up by 12 points. The problem was that they gave the Pacers too much space to breathe, and in the end, they did what they've done all postseason.
It will now be up to the Thunder to make the necessary adjustments to get a win in the series.
Related: 3 adjustments Thunder must make after NBA Finals Game 1 catastrophe vs. Pacers
Related: Pacers-Thunder Game 1 hits record low in views for Finals
