San Antonio Spurs head coach Mark Daigneault reflected on missed momentum swings, player availability, and execution after a 118-91 loss to the Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night at the Frost Bank Center.
Daigneault pointed to a critical third-quarter stretch where the Thunder were unable to respond to San Antonio’s surge. “We had a chance to turn the game, but you got to turn the game. You can’t wait for the game to turn,” he said. “They came out and obviously threw a great punch in the third and got the game out of reach for us.”
Oklahoma City entered halftime feeling competitive despite allowing 11 made threes in the first half. Daigneault said the situation remained “very manageable,” but execution slipped when the Spurs escalated pressure after the break.
The Thunder were held scoreless for an extended run in the third quarter as San Antonio ripped off a decisive 22-0 surge, flipping control of the game and building an insurmountable margin. Daigneault acknowledged the gap between opportunity and execution. “It had the makings of a road win if we could be the team that threw the punch in the third,” he said.
A key storyline was the return of Jalen Williams, who re-entered the rotation while still not at full strength. Daigneault emphasized caution and context around the forward’s condition. “Ever since he got hurt, he’s been hellbent on trying to get himself to this point,” he said. “He’s obviously not 100%. He didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect.”
He added that Williams was used in a limited role as Oklahoma City managed his workload. “He’s an all-star player. He’s an all-NBA player. This isn’t a full return,” Daigneault said. “He just wants to do whatever he can to try to contribute whatever he can to the team.”
Despite the loss, Daigneault framed Game 7 as a continuation of the same playoff reality the Thunder have navigated throughout the postseason. “It’s hard to win a playoff game, period, against anybody,” he said. “It’s hard to win a playoff game against a great team on the road.”
Looking ahead to the decisive matchup in Oklahoma City, he stressed preparation over narrative. “Every game has a new life. Every game is earned if you want to win it,” Daigneault said. “We have to play a lot better than we did tonight.”
He also addressed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s recent shooting struggles, attributing them to a combination of defensive pressure and team-wide execution. “I’d never discredit the defense and the opponent,” Daigneault said. “We all need to play better on both ends of the floor. If we do that, it’ll put everybody at a better advantage.”
The Thunder now return home for Game 7 on Saturday, where the winner will advance to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
