In a heated game against the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault found himself irate with the referees. During a dead ball in the fourth quarter, the Thunder attempted to send Jalen Williams onto the court for a routine substitution, only to be denied by the refs who allowed Golden State to inbound the ball too quickly.
The Warriors then scored on the ensuing play, further adding to Daigneault’s frustration. He made sure to let the referees know exactly what he thought of their handling of the situation, resulting in a technical foul against him.
Movin' up the leaderboard.
Last night, Jordan Poole passed Chris Mullin for 6th most-made threes in franchise history 👏 pic.twitter.com/xHX9wmV35l
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 5, 2023
The Thunder ultimately lost the game, 136-125, marking their third consecutive loss. This puts them just half a game over the Play-in Tournament cut line, with the Dallas Mavericks close behind. While the referees’ mistake certainly didn’t help their cause, Daigneault remained gracious in defeat, acknowledging the Warriors’ strong performance in the fourth quarter.
In a postgame press conference, Daigneault stated, “4th quarter, both ends of the floor, we just weren’t good enough. They outplayed us there, they deserve credit for the win.” It’s clear that Daigneault is a fair and level-headed coach, even in the face of frustrating circumstances.
However, it’s understandable why Daigneault was so furious with the referees. A simple substitution process should not have been botched in such a critical moment of the game. The technical foul against him only added insult to injury.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was FURIOUS and picked up a technical foul 😳
The refs forgot to let Jalen Williams sub in on a dead ball…
Thoughts? 🤔pic.twitter.com/K6L8Gv0y23
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 5, 2023
Despite this setback, Daigneault and the Thunder must now focus on their upcoming games against the Utah Jazz and the Memphis Grizzlies. These games will be crucial for their chances of making it to the Play-in Tournament.
In the end, it’s clear that Daigneault is a passionate coach who cares deeply about his team’s success. His frustration with the referees was understandable, given the high stakes of the game.
However, his graciousness in defeat shows that he is a true professional, able to maintain his composure even in the face of adversity. With his leadership, the Thunder have a strong chance of bouncing back and securing a spot in the Play-in Tournament.
Jalen Williams scores 19 points, but Golden State Warriors come back to defeat Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their third game in a row to the Golden State Warriors, who staged yet another second-half comeback to clinch the victory.
Despite leading for most of the game, the Thunder were unable to hold off the Warriors, who only took the lead for the first time at the 8:29 mark of the fourth quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring for Oklahoma City with 32 points, while Jalen Williams added 19.
The Thunder will need to regroup quickly as they face the Utah Jazz on the road before finishing their regular season at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. The loss also puts them just half a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in the race for the Play-in Tournament cut line.
Meanwhile, the Warriors secured their 471st consecutive sellout and moved up to fifth place in the Western Conference standings, pending the result of the Clippers-Lakers game.
