'We’re a better team now:' Mark Daigneault and Thunder one win away from Western Conference Finals

In a playoff series that has tested the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tuesday night felt like a defining moment. Not just because they won, but because of how they did it.

“We didn't play great,” head coach Mark Daigneault admitted after the Thunder’s gritty Game 5 win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets. “That was as loose as we've been defensively, maybe worse than Game 1. But to hang in there the way we did and get back on track… that was impressive.”

What followed wasn’t a masterpiece, but something better: a mature, collective performance full of resilience, role-player heroics, and late-game execution that showed just how far this young Thunder team has come.

Faith in the Fight

For Daigneault, who’s quietly turned OKC into a 68-win machine, the trust runs deep — especially in the man they call “Lou.”

Lou Dort didn’t start the fourth quarter. But when he entered, he stayed and he delivered.

Three triples in four possessions. Ten consecutive points. Defensive stops that shook the walls of Paycom Center.

“I don’t bet against Lou,” Daigneault said flatly. “There’s just a special thing about him. He’s always going to stand back up. He’s always going to compete. You can count on that. Always.”

The sequence not only flipped the game but it also sparked the bench and ignited the crowd

“It's like a family member rising back up from adversity,” Daigneault said of Dort’s moment. “The guys feel that. It's contagious.”

Execution Over Everything

While Dort lit the fire, the Thunder closed the game with precision. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who Daigneault noted didn’t “have his fastball” early, calmly seized control late. A rhythm three. A patient drive. An extra pass. Cold-blooded composure.

“Our execution was excellent,” Daigneault said. “We got into stuff, we were organized on both ends of the floor, no breakdowns, just strong execution.”

Daigneault highlighted a critical play late, a quick swing from SGA to Dort to Jalen Williams in the corner for a dagger three.

“Process-wise, both ends of the floor, we were really, really clean.”

Bench Answers and Championship Grit

It wasn’t just the closers who made the difference. Once again, the trio of Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Aaron Wiggins helped stabilize the game in both halves.

“They're team-first guys. They compete together. They complement each other,” Daigneault said. “That unit was big in the second quarter and gave us really good minutes in the second half.”

And in the frontcourt, Jaylin Williams delivered another gritty effort defending Nikola Jokić.

“He’s been huge all series,” Daigneault said. “Unbelievable competitor. Big-time plays. Great defense. Huge pass to Chet late.”

Even when Jokić returned to MVP form “decisive, quick, forceful” as Daigneault described the Thunder absorbed the blows and kept swinging.

“We’re a Better Team Now”

At multiple points in the postgame press conference, Daigneault returned to a single message: growth.

“I actually think we’re a better team today than we were at the beginning of the series,” he said. “This is a humble group. They stay grounded, and that’s what allows them to continually improve despite the success.”

And make no mistake, this isn’t just a story of a young team surviving. It’s about a young team evolving.

“We don’t play to answer anybody,” Daigneault added, brushing aside questions about critics doubting OKC’s playoff readiness. “We just play for one another and for our fans. That’s enough.”

One More Test Ahead

Now, the Thunder turn toward a daunting Game 6 in Denver, where pride, pressure, and altitude await. But the confidence is real, and it’s earned.

“They're going to approach this with the same physicality and force,” Daigneault said of the Nuggets. “We can’t be late to that party.”

If the past five games are any indication, this Thunder team won’t just show up.

They’ll keep rising.