OKC Thunder Full Media Availability | Post Game at New York Knicks | March 31, 2024

OKC Thunder Full Media Availability | Post Game at New York Knicks | March 31, 2024

Rock fight between these two teams just what did it take for you guys to make sure that you were the ones on top tonight yeah I mean um yeah it was low scoring I mean we struggled to score early in the game I thought um gave up a

Lot of offensive rebounds luckily they didn’t punish us you know they didn’t make a lot of shots early as well so uh both teams kind of were quiet on that end of the floor but I thought defens were really good we made them make and take tough shots all night um Brunson

Got hot in that third and um I thought you know the guys did a really good job of coming back together um getting back to the game plan um showing him crowds and buddies and and once we did that um we made them play you know in smaller

Spaces and we started getting stopped so that’s what we needed to do tonight against a good team like that and and obviously was you know back and forth down the stretch but um I thought you know some of our stuff down the stretch was good some of it wasn’t wasn’t great

But um you know we’ll learn from watch the film and keep getting better can you tell us your perspective of that shot from from Shay off that side I mean you know that’s that guy I think everyone knows been going to him to for the game

Um whether he has two points or 50 points he’s getting the ball and uh we all trust him to make that play and um you know he’s a superstar in this league and then they the type of plays you know he makes and um you know we we want the

Bowl in his hands in that situation Mark said it was a similar cut that Aaron had in the Toronto game that got him a bucket on that same side out of bounds play that I just kind of like help kind of open things up for you on that that

That play there it did I mean we we had obviously had a bunch of different options um you know dub was the first one Shay was the next one Z was the next one so we had a bunch of different guys that were going to get looks but um I

Think you know Shan knows I’m I’m trying to get himit the ball in that situation um and you know he he broke open and that’s his spot you know we’ve seen him hit a bunch of game windows from that you know short Corner area and um he he

He loves having the ball in his hands in that situation and um we love him to have the ball in his hands in that situation Josh you kind of talked about the defensive effort and I just wonder about having the consistency of that despite shots not falling for you guys

For a while despite um some things not going your way how how was it that you guys were able to just kind of keep sticking with that mentally yeah I mean it’s defense is easy to play when offense is going well and I think the great teams um they play defense

Regardless of what’s happening on the other side of the bowling um I thought tonight we did a really good job with that guys didn’t get um distracted by what was happening on the offensive side um you know we had slippage on the defensive end at times but I thought we

Did a really good job of getting back on track um sticking to the game plan I thought rebounding hurt us a little bit especially down the stretch you know they got some big ones but um for the most part I thought defensively we were great uh we I don’t know what the final

Score was but we they didn’t score a whole lot neither did we but um that’s kind of how these these games against good teams go uh you know it’s a slugfest and um we we grinded that and you know defense wins these type of games I don’t even know

Who Jos you obviously the one of the products of the the rebuild per se um to to PL some playoffs by now just what does that mean to you yeah I mean you know to to think where we’ve come from from you know 12 months ago 24 months

Ago when I when I first got here um it’s it’s unbelievable you know I don’t think well I’m not going to say I don’t think we we thought we could get to this point but um there’s probably a lot of the basketball world didn’t think would be where we’re at this quickly um

But it’s a it’s a credit to this organization you know the players obviously we the ones playing the game but there’s so many people that um make things happen to to make this team function the way it does and um and you know it doesn’t happen without everybody

So you know obviously we’ve started we I’ve been a part of games where we’ve been blown out by 70 I’ve been a part you know games where we’ve won by 60 so um I’ve seen both sides of it um it feels much better to be on this end of

It and um the guys are happy we’re rolling right now but um there’s still you know nine 10 more games left so close out the regular season and um we’ll see what happens from there Josh I think your three trips to the garden for three triple doubles now what about

These play kind of brings out the best for yeah I mean that’s a it’s you know the most famous arer in the world uh we get to come here one time a year um and it’s a special place to play and I mean um you know the triple doubl happen or

Not I just try to go out there play the right way play the play the game how it should be played and um those things kind of just happen and um yeah it’s it’s a fun place to play you know when you see all the celebrties sitting Courtside um the crowd’s up and

Getting into it it’s it’s a close game down the stretch um these are the type of games you want to be a part of I want to be in and um yeah I just love playing here probably hard to pick out one guy but you your bench unit doubles up

Theirs and points and seemed like between Jay will and kenrich and so many of these guys stepped up what did you sense from that group that was huge um you know Jay will was I thought he was great tonight both sides K Rich was great wig Zay queso you know we had and

As I always say we have a really deep team and um guys come in one through however many you know che check into the game um and make an impact so uh it’s a real luxury to have um and especially against a good team like that when they

Bring their second unit in uh our second unit in my opinion is as good as anybody in the league and um they showed that tonight and um when they can go toe-to-toe with um team starting units either uh even sorry um it just you know

Helps take our team to a new level and then dub just seemed to be this consistent through line for you guys in terms of extreme efficiency scoring um what do you seeing from his ability to get to his spots and and be able to knock down those shots yeah I mean he’s

Obviously super talented um he loves those moments you know down the stretch when the game’s close back and forth he he wants a ball in his hands and he wants to make plays and and you know Shay is very unselfish in those situation he understands you know who’s

Got it going and he um he has so much gravity you know to him that he’s happy to be a screener a decoy and um and that’s such a you know luxury for our team when you when your best player is is happy to see somebody else handle the

Ball down the stretch and um makes our team function you know that much better so dub was special again tonight he’s been like that all year and he’s a superstar on the making to say what the intentions there and what you saw there um yeah we we ran that play um a few

Times um we ran it last year in Portland OR when Portland was in town and we had a gamewinner um we usually script and the game plays so we all know what’s going on and um I Tred to get double open obviously Josh is a really good

Inbounder and then uh if it didn’t work I had a position to seal and catch and and try to make a shot yeah and just describe to me how you’re feeling now after missing a few games you rarely miss any games this year and obviously at times tonight there were times

Olympia and stuff like just walk me through the timeline of you coming back if you felt you were already just everything you were thinking as you out there yeah um I uh I I felt like I I was ready if I didn’t feel so I would have went out

There um didn’t have my best game clearly um but uh yeah I felt pretty good to start it took me a little bit to get um warm and get going um but I felt all right yeah and Mark was just in here talking about the you guys punching that

Playoff spot and he was mentioning you know all the invisible people but especially you know the team and and the people who were here from the beginning you one of those people who were here from the beginning just you know describe what’s going through your head

As you we he that you guys c a playoff spot and just you know all the emotions considering you know the years you spent here yeah um it feels good um not really no big hurah for me um this team has big goals big aspirations

And um it’s one of the things that was on our list for sure and and for us to to do so um it feels good good um we don’t feel like it’s need to celebrate we haven’t really done anything yet um we just got to keep getting better um

And see where it takes us sh defensively you guys just kept your heads down and stayed in this one you held them to about 40% shooting Brunson got his 30 but it it took him a lot of shots to get there what did you notice about the way that you guys just

Kind of sat down and tried to guard regardless of what was going on yeah um we did What it Took tonight um the group to start the second and the group to start the fourth was really good um I was almost like I shouldn’t go back

In in the fourth quarter how good they were um yeah team just like you said kept their heads down didn’t matter what was going on what the score was um just played really good basketball and played together um and when we do so we’re pretty good Josh’s ability to just score

Over smaller def Enders he really put that on his play in the second half how big of an impact did he have tonight in just keeping that scoreboard moving when you needed it yeah um Josh wasused tonight uh was part of that group to start the fourth that that got us back

In the game and took the lead um but he’s been amazing these past maybe I don’t know how many but he’s been playing Amazing um the league kind of switched up how they’ve been guarding him and he’s figured it out and it’s taking full advantage of it um um and he

Worked super hard super smart kid we knew it was going to come um but I’m just proud for proud of him and happy for him um to have the success to have the success he deserves Shar what’s it like out there on a playto playay read to read even basis with someone like

Jaylen being able to answer every time the Knicks went on a run having 30 points tonight having that Wing Creator kind of blooming next to you yeah um it’s fun um he uh um just keeps getting better um and I think it’s a testament to his character and his work ethic um super

Good kid and all he wants to do is play basketball and get better and because of it he’s um reaping the benefits mention your go goad mentioned your bigger goals for this season uh so you pass Denver for the number one seed with this win uh what are some of the

Unique challenges of playing Denver on the road at Denver with the altitude and why is it so important for you to get home field home home court advantage um defending Champions uh so they’re going to be tough regardless of the altitude U but the altitude doesn’t help for sure and then

Um everyone wants to play at home in their comfort zone in front of their fans um it’s called home court advantage for a reason and and the most you can have it throughout the playoffs is definitely a plus you’re you’re obviously still a young player this is

Obviously a young team but you’ve had a bunch of success in moments like the one you had at the end of the game today over the past couple years and and you guys are already seen as a team that is able to find ways to get things done in

Close games in situations like this what does that say to you think about your group and in preparing for the playoffs that you guys have shown time and again that when you want to L close situations on the road against another high quality team like this you guys can find a way

To make enough plays down the stretch to to get wins yeah we don’t use our age or lack of experience as an excuse for ourselves um and we think of ourselves as a veteran experien group um we might be a little bit delusional but it helps us for sure um no matter what

Your ages there’s certain things you need to do to win a basketball game um especially late and we just pinpoint those things and try to get it done now we might have lapses we might not always get it done um we always have the right intention and because of it we’ve been

Successful and and what is it about those moments for you in particular I think you double the amount of goahead shots of anybody in the league over the past couple years uh in moments like the one today like what do you like about those moments when you have the ball

Um that’s what you play for um grow up watching guys make big shots um it’s fun it um it results in an immediate win and that’s what you play for you play to win um but yeah it’s just it’s it’s what you dream about as a kid and your

Driveway Jaylen that group this start the fourth I mean you had a very quick run to get right back into the game tell me about those moments and maybe the the mentality that you felt that you guys had coming out of the the timeout uh defensive toughness was a big one we got

A lot of stops and held them to one shot um I think they lead the league in offensive rebounding so um to have that stretch where they weren’t getting offensive rebounds and gen generating open shots I think was big for us and then we hit shots down the other end so

We did a good job with that there were so many different guys that’s that made big plays of course the Shay game winner was was massive when he didn’t have it going but were there any other moments that you felt like were game changers in

This one um that set you up for that oh for sure um Josh had a corner three um K Rich hit a rightwing three uh that hartenstein loaded off of um I’m trying to think what else Jay will ended up getting a block on like like kind of like a little like Skirmish

Kind of in the thing on hardenstein after we rotated um I thought we put together I’m trying to think if they called the timeout queso hit a right-wing three in transition after we had just gotten another big stop down there um so there’s just a bunch of

Plays like that to kind of seal the deal with that um that led to that point uh it was definitely all 15 or how many people we played uh tonight I think that was it was a really good team effort for for those final couple minutes specifically I mean the rebound

The free throw the the final shot making just what stood out most about those those final few minutes um I think we did a really good job at executing down the stretch obviously you know you don’t want to give up the rebounds that we gave to kind of give them looks but I

Think just at the same time we managed to clock really well we were basically gave them about a second left to shoot the ball uh just how we were able to manage and and do that uh we hit big shots um so I think that’s it but I

Think just our game awareness uh stuff that we work on at practice that a lot of people don’t see I think we did a really good job the play we ran at the end of the game some that we’ve scripted a lot so coach really didn’t even need

To draw it up but um just stuff like that like little stuff that you know nobody really sees us practice and stuff I thought we did a really good job of and and for you specifically for most of that game I mean neither team was shooting well would have felt like admid

All that you were the only one not you down shots for a while just what did you see out there and maybe what you like about the the floor game for for yourself just for a lot of that stretch I think it was just being aggressive uh understanding how teams have been

Guarding me recently uh it’s been a little bit of a change so just getting more and more comfortable with that uh I think my team puts a lot of faith in me to make the right read and just play with them so um I didn’t really want to

Force anything but I was able to kind of get to my spots and just one of those games too where uh my jump shot felt good the whole night and uh it was was able to kind of get it going early and just kind of maintain the rest of the

Game what was your perspective of that that final play oh the game winner yeah yeah that last one right there um tough shot we’ve seen him hit it I mean shot it made it against Portland there’s I think there’s one more I’m missing that he’s he’s made that probably that exact same shot

There’s another game uh Denver another one on that that left side yeah left side so um I think it’s tough you know is obviously battling through the stuff with his quad too you kind of tell that he’s like still kind of hobbling around so to kind of come in there and just

After really sitting a lot of the game especially the second half and coming and hit a shot like that is uh he’s very good at basketball so that was that was tough but like I said I think just going through that whole thing where we were able to not even

Really have to draw that play up and work on that and practice enough it it feels good to it feels like we all made the shot at the same time just cuz we work on that so much and we executed it really well you were one of the guys

That defended Brunson throughout the game and obviously he’s incredibly talented but you just kind of made him work for his 30 tonight what did it take mentally to to stick with it defensively when a lot of stuff wasn’t going your way throughout the night I think you’re

A really good player when you have to work for 30 the way he did um but yeah he’s he’s a tough cover he’s one of the toughest covers in the NBA um I think it just comes down to competing um I think anytime you’re guarding somebody uh you

Know of his caliber uh it’s not really like one person um you know we had a bunch of different guys on him uh queso was guarding him uh K Rich you know we tried to switch and throw different looks at him so I think when you have

All all four of people behind you kind of ready to help you if you make a mistake and it gives you a lot more confidence kind of just play him tough and and get up there but um yeah it’s definitely a a fiveman effort garden and

Garden somebody like that you uh you you moved ahead of Denver for the number one seed tonight with this win what are some of the challenges of playing Denver on the road at Denver and uh why is it important for your team to get home court advantage for the playoffs um well

The altitude is definitely an underrated one uh up there going up there not being able to kind of get your wind um they just won as well so uh you know they have a good kind of one through 10 rotation that they play and um they move

The ball really well and they’re just solid they just the veteran team is really solid they’re big um they understand what they’re good at and you know they execute really well so um they’re they’re a really good team and then obviously I think just homec court for the playoffs is everything because

If it goes a game seven you would like to be at home for that not on the road so um yeah Jan when you talked about how you felt like everybody felt like they made that shock as of how often you’ve worked on those situations you guys are

Obviously one of the younger teams in the league despite the success you’ve had and you’ve had a lot of success in those kind of moments late games I know obviously CH is a big part of that but what does it say about a young group like you guys that already even at this

Point in your process you’re seen as a team that you get in a late and close situation on the road against another really good team and it’s not seen as a surprise you guys are able to find a way to win a game like that um yeah I think

Uh last year and going into this year we’ve just been on a lot of close games um I think those either can pull you apart as a team or bring you closer together and I think we’ve kind to with our team chemistry let it bring us closer together we trust each other to

Make the right plays even if we don’t you know make the shot or come out with the win I think it’s just more about trust and and trying to make the right play every time uh I think we’ve been doing a really good job of that this

Year and uh I think just credit to that is just being ready for those situations than just being in them a lot I think the more and more comfortable you are in those situations um you know it makes you better down the road for these playoff games and a lot of these games

Are going to come down to one possession so kind of take that with a grain of salt and just understand that each POS each possession really matters trust him with the ball um it’s basketball and it’s a game of you know who can adapt the best and uh he’s doing a really good

Job of understanding how teams are guarding him uh I think he said progress isn’t you know always linear so sometimes you got to just you got to you got to have some rain to grow so um I think he’s starting to figure out how teams are going to guard him night in

And night out go ahead and clip that quote too yeah yeah but yeah I think just the more and more reps you have with how people are guarded and obviously you know he’s seeing some shots going which gives him uh confidence and you know we’re trying

To tell him to shoot it every time and you know we’ll live with it um he’s been doing a great job of that um it’s not something that we didn’t expect you know we expect him to continue to play better and better and I think he had like 19 16

And 12 or something like that so yeah uh he’s looking he’s looking good but um I think it’s just confidence and you know kind of understanding what’s going to happen night in night out so just being comfortable anybody else sounds like it’s a wrap Mark just the the rebounds

The the free throws the the shop making just everything within those final couple of minutes just what stood out to you about that clothes well I mean obviously uh both teams could have executed better uh so it was an imperfect game but great game you know great toughness uh down the

Stretch I thought we made enough plays um but was really I thought the game was you know the beginning of the fourth quarter that group you know really got us off to a great start got ourselves right back in the game uh and show great toughness throughout the fourth to

Battle uh back into that one and take a lead and eventually win yeah and obviously Shay steals the glory with that that shot at the end just walking through your intentions on that play and and what you see execut yeah it’s similar look to the one wiggin’s got the layup on against

Toronto so you know Josh is uh inbounding gives you the opportunity to have multiple options on a play so you shay as a screener try to Spring a layup you know for dub and if it’s not there it’s going to get us a switch and and

Able to get him to a spot uh so I thought great execution by those guys and the guys on the weak side great obviously Poise by Josh to make the pass great shot yeah and and obviously the shot is what people remember but it felt

Like a lot of today you know there were times where where Shay’s limping or you know walking gingerly just I know talked about you know your discernment the staff discernment on whether he can play or not you you talked about him earlier today like he was ready to go were there

Times today where you felt he maybe brush himself back no I didn’t feel like that I mean it’s a contusion he’s definitely got some discomfort but um we would never put him out there anybody out there you know if we thought that you know it was in harm Harm’s Way you

Talk about finding different ways to win games this is just a low-scoring kind of rock fight for much of the game what did you see that it took for these guys to to really come out on top to yeah I mean the first half was very much like that

You know not a great shot making night for either team they really got it going in the third we had a hard time you know containing them but we were able to stabilize the game a couple different times and keep it within Striking Distance and then uh broke through in

The fourth you know start the fourth like I said so thought we showed great toughness we got great contributions you know from a lot of different people in a lot of different parts of the game that group I mean k rich and Jay will in the fourth quarter those guys or Monsters

Wiggins um you know so uh great you know team win team effort what are you seeing from J offensively just seemed he was playing with so much confidence and kind of composure with he was cruising you know he’s uh you know obviously really developed into a three-level player

Still makes all the right passes um has developed a really good blend for when to get to kind of his pullup and get to spots and when he could just punch the gas and get to the front rim I thought some of his drives tonight really put a

Lot of pressure on the defense and so um just continues to get better and better you know obviously had a huge night was great Mark what do it mean for you guys to make the playoffs officially um you’re obviously prepared to do that for a while but yeah great accomplishment

You know great accomplishment for the organization there’s a lot of invisible people whose fingerprints are on that that have put a lot of work in you know our support staff you know up and down the organization no one deserves more than our players you know these guys have shown uncommon Poise and toughness

A lot of them have been a part of this build you know and have had um you know tasted our own blood at different times and have just stuck with it you know so I couldn’t be happier for the team for the organization uh and now we’ve got to you

Know continue to sharpen our blade down the stretch here and prepare ourselves and like you said obviously it was a little bit of a chaotic end of the game for both teams I would say but you obviously have a super young team and Chay is already seen as a guy who is

Sort of maybe not expected but it’s not a surprise when he comes up big in a moment like that MH what does that say about a young team and a young star like that that it is a really a surprise to people that you’ve got a guy that’s seen

Is in a leag closer in moments like that yeah I mean he he’s never flinched I mean the first game I ever coached uh was at Charlotte and we were up by like 13 with like two minutes to go and we blew the lead uh and I think we they

Tied the game or took a lead and he came down and just drilled a game winner like right off the bat his first game that he kind of had the ball in his hands so uh he’s always kind of had it in him it’s got a contagious effect on the team

For sure his confidence his Poise um but we’ve also got some other dudes now that you know are in their own right um really really capable really confident really uncommon players and it’s not just dub and and chett and the guys that it’s up and down the roster Everybody

Plays their role with a lot of swagger and confidence and aggression um and so obviously um Everybody deserves credit but he’s he’s been the head of the snake and to your point on Jaylen obviously he was pretty tremendous throughout the game especially when was getting a little into it earlier on what allowed

Him to get going the way he was going yeah I mean not the first time this year I mean he’s had a lot of games like that and you know it’s coincidental because there’s been a lot of games where Shay uh has had big nights and then we’ve

Gone to jayen to close down the stretch uh and tonight it was kind of inverted because Jaylen had a huge night but you know just continues to get better and the thing that’s most impressive about him is just the fact that he continues to play as hard as he does and defend

The way he does I mean he’s a very complete player there’s nothing on the court he can’t do um and I thought that was on display tonight Josh finished with a triple double but he’s had the point assist double double first just what does that say about the way he was

Able to impact the game tonight yeah I mean he was really really good he was a huge Catalyst in that fourth quarter um when we were climbing back in the game and and he had some big plays to help us take a lead there um he continues to

Compete defensively you I thought that was really really impressive the other night against New Orleans and it was impressive again tonight um you know so just continues to get better play with more confidence play inside of his game um and you know as good as he is with

The driving I think what he’s doing with the passing some of the fines he’s had are huge and so we we need him

Hear from Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Head Coach Mark Daigneault follow the Thunder’s 113 – 112 thrilling win over the Knicks.

0:00 Josh Giddey
5:43 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
11:56 Jalen Williams
20:01 Coach Daingeault

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