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, bury your free throws on the other end.
“That’s usually our deal, is to foul up three, and to play that game,” Daigneault told reporters after Nuggets-Thunder Game 1 on Monday.