OKC Thunder Full Media Availability | Post Game at Utah Jazz | November 21, 2025

to have a a 54 point swing in a game. Just what do you make of this team’s continued uh ability to just hang in batters and and stay in there long enough for things to turn? Yeah, it was a 48 minute game obviously and um I thought a couple things. First thing is um we saw the distance between the way a team can play against us when our pressure and physicality isn’t there and when it is. you know, I thought we really flipped the switch uh on that end of the floor and that changed the tone of the game. And then I thought uh you know, that’s the game’s kind of rocky in the first quarter and it’s hard to get a grip on it. And I thought Jay, Will, I, Joe, Caruso, AJ, those guys came into the game and elevated the tone and got the game back into a stable spot, which allowed us to just build through the rest of the game. So, I thought those were two very key things tonight. Yeah. referencing all a lot of the guys that come in off the bench. I want to ask you about the the construction of the team and the quality depth that you have to go to at various points and be able to ride guys for, you know, stretches when you need them on a night like tonight. Yeah, like I said, those guys, you know, Jay Will and I, Joe and Caruso, you know, those guys specifically, I thought really gave us huge lifts at different times um in the first quarter, late in the first uh and then in the um in the third quarter. And then the group to start the second did a really good job of of cutting into the lead after we got things under control. But that game can go a lot differently if we don’t get the tone turned and if if we don’t get the contributions we got from those guys. Did you feel like it was a a relatively immediate tone turning that was happening that you know course directed by the players on the floor in the game or was it more of a gradual thing that happened? Well, when a team starts that hot, you know, their confidence is high and their confidence was high. You know, even when we started to try to go a little bit, they made some tough plays and some tough shots, but that’s what happens when you allow a team to catch a rhythm uh and get confident that early. But uh we stayed at it, understood it was a 48-minute game um and did a really nice job getting the game under control and then obviously had a really good second half. D was a huge factor in the third quarter specifically. It just seemed like Markin didn’t get anything going towards the rim whatsoever. Everything’s falling away. What was different about his physicality? Yeah, Markin just got a little loose early. you know, we were off his body a couple times. Um, and it led to open shot, a back cut, uh, layup. We were late, you know, on a close out and fouled him on a three. Um, and then we were just to his body. You know, he’s just a guy you can’t give him a lot of space because he’s a great shooter and he’s got great size. So, um, but again that, you know, the guys did a great job on him. L did a great job on him. AC, uh, and the team defense behind it. You mentioned J specifically earlier, five threes for him tonight. That’s a career high. He was just telling me the value his shot from behind the arc to open up the floor for the team. His volume has or uh volume in terms of his percentage of shots has gone up from behind line. Has that been an intentional focus coming into the season or has that just been what’s available? Yeah, he’s just, you know, it’s what’s available, but he’s just shot it well enough that, you know, those are good shots for him. And uh similar to what I said about Dort the other night, like Jay Will’s done a nice job of just staying the course. you know, he was in the 20s, his three-point percentage at some point this season. Like, he didn’t get off to a super hot start, but he’s just shot his shots, remained confident. The teams remain confident in him, and it was nice to see him like break through tonight like that. I know it’s nothing new, but some of the steals that Case has are just they seem like steals that other people don’t get. Yeah. What is it about him and and either the hands or quickness off the floor? He had the one at the point of attack where he got way off the ground so fast. Yeah. A lot of it’s um you know gifts and instinct. Uh but there’s also like a motor and a concentration, a competitiveness that he brings every play that positions him to be able to get those instincts into the game, you know, and so um he’s definitely got some some stuff there, but he also he backs it with consistent effort and competitiveness that allows him to be in every play. And um when you combine those things, you get what that is. Shay’s perfect from three a night. He’s up above 40% from three on the season. You get to see what so many people don’t, but what is your perspective on the work ethic that he’s put in to refining that shot as he has made gradual improvement over the years? Yeah, I mean, similar, you know, that I just said about Jay Will and Lou, you know, he got off to a slower start from three this year. Not obviously a slow start um as a player, but he didn’t shoot it great early. Um and he just is consistent with his work and uh stays confident as a result of that. And uh the team stays stays confident in one another. You know, everybody kind of knows their game, plays their game, works at their game, and it allows us collectively to just stick with it when things aren’t going well. Um both individually and collectively. And I think that’s just another example of that. You want this team to face all kinds of adversity, especially in the young season, as long as the results are positive. That’s what we saw tonight. But you’re down 18 and then all of a sudden they’re up by 27 and your guys didn’t flinch again. It just seems like they don’t get stressed or worried about the inte. I I think they understand the 48minute nature of the game, but uh the thing we also understood tonight that we have to is like when the game’s going like that, it had something to do with how we were playing. Like we just they threw the first punch tonight uh and they really had us on our heels. Uh, and even though it’s a 48minute game and there’s a lot of time left, you have to do something to change the way the game’s going. And that’s what I thought we did tonight really well is they recognized in the game we weren’t where we needed to be. We allowed the opponent to get way too much rhythm and confidence. Uh, and then we we bit into that a little bit and it allowed the game to to turn for us. Anybody else? Quite the the whiplash to have a 54 point swing. What did it feel like out there on the court? Um, I mean, it felt great. Uh, great game to win. Uh, I think obviously they had a a really good start and I I don’t think we started the way we won it. Uh, but we we fixed it. Uh, and and that’s that’s what we really needed to do. Uh, and moving forward, we just got to be ready for 48 minutes. Uh, that’s that’s really it. What did you fix and how did you fix it? Uh, I mean, I think just being more aggressive uh, on both ends. Uh, but especially on defense. uh I think not letting uh their team being comfortable uh in anything they do. So I think that was really our focus. No 180 spurt that you could put on in a couple minutes. You did put on 22 nothing but the beginning of that that third quarter or excuse me second quarter when you had that 80 spur. What what was the mindset of the group coming out of the the quarter break? I think just bringing energy. Uh, I think just coming in being aggressive on both ends and really just like putting putting bodies on on them too. Uh, and being aggressive in that way. How strong was the lead being down 18 and like just played one way we know how to play? I think we’re going to be okay. Excuse me. Can you How strong was the belief within the huddle on the bench like we we can correct this? Oh, very strong. Uh, I mean we I think it was it was good for us to have kind of that test. Uh, and I think obviously dingo the way we wanted to start, but for us it’s like, okay, like now we’re in this position. Let’s let’s fix it and and let’s figure it out. And I think we we we always believe in us. Uh, and we know it’s it’s a 48 minute game, so no matter what happens to start, it’s like let’s play all 40 m all 48 minutes and and see where we’re at. How much fun are you having right now on this team that just love to win? Uh, I mean, it’s very fun. Uh obviously I think just the how close we are as a team. I think on and off the court uh and like going out there like you just want to fight uh for for the guys that are out there. Uh and it’s it’s it makes it really fun. I mean I feel like every time I step on the court it’s like I’m having fun. So it’s it’s amazing. Anybody else? T zebra.

Hear from Head Coach Mark Daigneault & Ajay Mitchell following the Thunder’s 144 – 112 win over the Jazz.

0:00 Mark Daigneault
6:04 Ajay Mitchell

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