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What Mark Daigneault wants Thunder to be better at after close call vs. Timberwolves
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- What Mark Daigneault wants Thunder to be better at after close call vs. Timberwolves
The post What Mark Daigneault wants Thunder to be better at after close call vs. Timberwolves appeared first on ClutchPoints .
OKLAHOMA CITY — Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder stretched their winning streak to 10 games to improve to an 18-1 record in the regular season in a 113-105 NBA Cup victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves . After Thunder veteran guard Alex Caruso warned his team about the daunting stretch of games, starting with a Western Conference Finals rematch against the Timberwolves, Minnesota proved Caruso's point.
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Still, the Thunder prevailed, holding off the Timberwolves on a game-ending 12-4 run, a kind of adversity Daigneault appreciated for his near-perfect squad, which has the best record in the NBA.
"It was a game that was in the mud. There were stretches in the game that were very difficult for us. Some of that is the shot-making. I thought we made some really good plays and found some really good shots that just didn't go down, which is part of the game. But there's also areas that we need to improve. I thought Edwards got loose, especially with the amount we fouled him tonight. He shot 12 free throws.
"Our fundamentals need to be better on the defensive end to not put him on the line like that. So, that's something we can learn from this game and work on. But overall, made enough plays to win."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 's 40 points on 12-of-19 shooting, 15-of-17 free throws, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals led the Thunder to victory. Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, one block, and one steal, and Ajay Mitchell 's 13 points and three assists led the bench.
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Daigneault believes Friday's win over the Timberwolves makes the Thunder a better team , given the adversity they faced in a hard-fought victory.
"I thought both teams played a hard, physical game. That's why it was good for us. We're a better team, having played that game."
Alex Caruso 's attention-catching warning for Thunder
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso warned his team about its brutal stretch of games, which will test its will to fight in critical situations. While head coach Mark Daigneault offered an encouraging update on Jalen Williams ' day-to-day status, the Thunder must continue to go on without him amid a challenging stretch of games, which continues after Thanksgiving.
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"Just trying to continue the consistency that we've started this year. Obviously, we've gotten off to a great start, but there [are] still areas of improvement for us," Caruso said. "And I think some of the teams we're playing coming up will really push us and see if we're really committed to those things that we talk about — which I think we are. But putting it into action and putting it into games is where it counts. I'm looking forward to having some of those games coming up."
The Thunder will host the Suns at the Paycom Center on Friday.
Related: Even Mark Daigneault can't believe Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 while sick
Related: Thunder's Jalen Williams gets encouraging day-to-day update
