The Oklahoma City Thunder have a full week off before they play in the NBA Finals.
They earned this break after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals. Now, the big question is whether this rest will help or hurt them when they face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks. The Finals begin on June 5 in Oklahoma City.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault believes his young team will stay focused during the break, just like they’ve done all season.
“They are very professional and always focused,” he said. “They’re great people with strong values, and they work hard no matter what happens. Most importantly, they always put the team first.”
The Thunder have had similar long breaks during the playoffs in the past two years, and the outcomes were mixed. Last year, they swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round and then had eight days off. They came back strong and beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the next series. However, they ended up losing that series 4-2.
After this year’s series against Memphis, the Thunder found themselves in a similar situation. Since there were nine days between games because Denver’s first-round series with the LA Clippers lasted seven games, Coach Daigneault decided to give his players some extra rest. At first, the team didn’t focus on their next opponent. Instead, they worked on improving their own performance.
“We mainly focused on the basics,” Daigneault said before facing Denver. “Defensively, it’s all about stopping fast breaks, playing one-on-one defense, helping each other, talking on defense, closing out shooters, and grabbing rebounds. That’s how we’re approaching the series. Offensively, we’re working on skills that matter no matter what defense we face.”
The Thunder lost a close Game 1 at home to Denver, 121-119. But they bounced back with a huge 131-80 win in Game 2 and went on to win the series 4-3.
Coach Daigneault praised his team for how quickly they learn and grow from each game. The Thunder finished the regular season with the best record in the league at 68-14.
“This group learns fast,” Daigneault said. “They don’t get caught up in emotions. They take lessons from each game and focus on what’s next. That’s why we’ve gotten better so quickly.”