Thunder’s Mark Daigneault sticks by failed late-game strategy vs. Nuggets: “I didn’t think that’s why we lost”

Head coach Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder yells during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)No hint of regret lingered on Mark Daigneault’s face after a victory fell out of his pocket. No tremor shook his hands. No waver crept into his voice.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s coach was born into the era of analytics, which claims it is a winning and smart strategy to hack opponents while up three points in the final seconds of fourth quarters. The era, largely, has been right. Because the logic is sound: Whittle away the clock before any attempt at a 3-pointer to tie,…