Full-court questions: Mark Daigneault talks lineups, pressure, and finals intensity before Game 5

Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals 111-104 on Friday night to even up the series at 2-2.

Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault spoke to journalists the day before Game 5 in Oklahoma City. You can watch his full interview at the top of this article. Here are several key takeaways.

How are the Thunder handling the Finals?

Mark Daigneault acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the Finals with such a young team, noting that while the experience is new, the Thunder’s foundational approach has helped them stay grounded. He praised the Pacers as a “great team that’s pushing us to the limit” and emphasized that nothing about these games feels comfortable. Despite winning Game 4, Daigneault admitted OKC didn’t control the game and said they need to treat it “almost like a loss” in order to make critical adjustments heading into Game 5.

How has Jalen Williams been able to take pressure off SGA by handling the ball more?

Daigneault praised Jalen Williams’ growth as a primary initiator, noting that Williams “declared himself” by consistently thriving within the system and taking on more responsibility without a drop in efficiency. Daigneault highlighted Jalen’s resilience in bouncing back from a tough stretch in Game 3 and credited him for playing a crucial role in Game 4, saying, “As much as Shai closed the game, I thought Jalen kept us afloat in a lot of different periods.”

How has the lineup shuffle worked so far?

Mark Daigneault explained that the Game 4 lineup change was intended to give OKC the best chance to win, even if it meant some early defensive struggles. The adjustment helped set a better rotational flow, including managing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s energy late. He emphasized that rotation decisions carry domino effects and are evaluated game to game. As for Caruso playing extended minutes, Daigneault said the team isn’t holding back at this stage of the season: “This is the time you’ve got to do everything you can to try to win the games and pull out all the stops.”

Thunder vs Pacers in the NBA Finals

OKC Thunder NBA Finals 

Coaches Corner 

Keys to the NBA Finals for the Oklahoma City Thunder 

Get to know the foe: Where Thunder stands against the Pacers 

⁠Thunder Player POV 

⁠Community Stories