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Thunder’s Mark Daigneault points finger at defense after Celtics loss
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- Thunder’s Mark Daigneault points finger at defense after Celtics loss
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BOSTON — After a 119-109 loss on the road, which snapped a 12-game winning streak, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault gave the Boston Celtics all the credit for outplaying the defending champions on the road. Daigneault also addressed the Thunder's second-half struggles against the Celtics , which helped keep the Thunder at bay in the final frame.
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Daigneault addressed the Thunder's shortcomings in their loss to the Celtics during his postgame media availability.
"I think part of the issue is the amount they scored tonight. If you can get your defense into a game and you can loosen up the floor a little bit, and get a little bit more pace, it's harder for them to scheme like that," Daigneault said. "But when you allow the game to become kind of their possession, your possession, their possession, your possession, it becomes far more of an execution game. Credit them, they executed really well.
"I thought they executed better than we did. But I would attribute it to the stops as well. If you get some stops, maybe you get a little more flow."
After the Celtics outscored the Thunder 39-30 after halftime, they kept Oklahoma City at bay as All-Star Jaylen Brown put the finishing touches on a 31-point performance in the final frame. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault watched Brown make 12-of-14 free throw attempts to go with his eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 's 33 points on an efficient 10-for-12 shooting led the Thunder. Lu Dort finished with 14 points, including four threes, and Chet Holmgren added 10 points and five rebounds.
SGA addresses Jaylen Brown's approach in Thunder loss
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commended Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown for his aggressive approach in Wednesday's 10-point loss to the Celtics. For someone who is often accused of foul-baiting, Gilgeous-Alexander reminded everyone that elite players often get to the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander applauded Brown for doing it not once, but twice, as the Celtics All-Star forward has combined for 28 free throws in both regular-season meetings against the Thunder this season.
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"He's done a really good job of getting to the free-throw line, especially against us. I think it's 14 twice. So, 28 free throws in two games? Pretty good job," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The best players in the history of the game go to the free-throw line. It's part of the game and the most efficient way to score points, statistically."
Gilgeous-Alexander went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line in Wednesday's loss against the Celtics.
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