Full Post Game Media Availability | OKC Thunder at Denver Nuggets | NBA Playoffs | May 15, 2025

Full Post Game Media Availability | OKC Thunder at Denver Nuggets | NBA Playoffs | May 15, 2025

Shay, you obviously know Jamal well. What did you think when you saw he was questionable with an illness this afternoon and and what do you think about uh the way he performed in that? Um yeah, I knew he was going to play. Um obviously a do or die situation for them. Um and they came out with that sense of urgency and jumped on us right away. Uh if we want to get a double the next game, we can’t let that happen. Hey, what was the view from your standpoint of just the the flow of the 48 minutes? You guys, you know, had a good punch, but it seemed like they were able to put together some runs in critical situations. Yeah, they were just better to start the game and then better the whole second half. Um, we always say like to win a game on the road especially like you have to start good. You have to win that first quarter. We didn’t do so. kind of put ourselves in a little bit of a hole um which we clearly can can dig out of. Um but it’s not ideal and makes it a little bit harder for later in the game and we just saw that tonight. Um just in terms of the mentality, how important is that approach going into game seven in front of the home crowd? Yeah, um do or die. It’s what you live for. It’s what you worked your whole life for. It’s either your dream continues or your dream ends. Um, so you lay it all out there on the floor and live with the results. But, um, yeah, I’m excited for the opportunity for sure. Tonight, I mean, he struggled with a shot and as a leader, what do you sort of say to him after a game like this? Yeah, I mean, it’s life. It’s basketball. Tonight wasn’t his night clearly. And, um, the best part about it all is he has an opportunity to, um, I guess change all that. like he has a big game next game. Nobody remembers, nobody cares, and he doesn’t neither. So, um yeah, just get ready for the next opportunity. Like I um always tell the guys, there’s always something ahead of you. Um and learn from your experiences, which he has done a great job of all year, so I don’t worry about that. You guys have talked all year about offensive force throughout the season. How would you grade your offensive force in this game? Um, honestly, I’m not I’m not too sure. It felt It felt How much do we have? It felt pretty good. It felt like we had the right intentions. Um, now I’ll have a I could have a better answer for you after watching the film. This is hard being out there and like trying to judge force while you’re in the middle of pick and roll. Uh but yeah. Yeah, I I feel like we had the right intention. Like I said, it was it was more so like defensively we we we had lapses to start the game for sure. Like I know I wanted the baseline out of bounds. I was guarding the corner and Braun just or Brown just cut behind me for a dunk. Like things like that can’t happen. And uh yeah, that tone was kind of set early. So just just making sure that we uh control what we can control to start the game next game will be big for us. Kelly, go ahead. the the pressure from Denver is obviously going to put the ball in Dub’s hands a lot, but in terms of trying to create easier shots for him. Are there things that you guys can do as a team to make it easier on him offensively? Uh Dub, uh yeah, absolutely. Um I’m not going to share them. Not not right now. I’ll save those, but there’s definitely things that we can do to get better and help him out there for sure. Shay, uh, Marcus talked about, you know, the process of you guys becoming a a great team and obviously, you know, pushing team like the Nuggets to the brink. You guys are both doing that to each other. Is there anything that that you feel like you’ve learned about yourself as a player getting pushed to a game seven like this and and how to respond? Nothing I didn’t already know. I don’t think like I know at the end like the the formula is very simple for me. I work hard. I trust my work. No matter the stage, no matter the jersey, no matter the arena, it it comes down comes down to that for me. And uh that formula has worked pretty well for me in my career so far. So it won’t be anything different. So yeah. Um Shay, whether it be just the depth or the injuries you guys suffered throughout the year, Jay Willsman minutes sort of fluctuated throughout the season. He’s been really impactful for you guys in the postseason. Can you just sort of speak to what he’s meant to you guys in the playoffs on and off the court because I know he’s been a big voice in your locker room. Yeah, he’s been huge. He’s very vocal, very smart basketball player, makes makes the right plays, makes timely plays. He just affects winning at a high level. Um, you can never have too many guys like that in your locker room. Uh, Shay, this Denver core has been in a lot of game sevens together. You’ve been in a game seven. and I think it came down to the final second. I’m wondering what do you remember about that experience and is there anything you can take from it for this game seven? Uh it’s going to be very fun. It’s going to be the highest intensity basketball that you ever play, but at the same time it’s still just basketball. You have to go out there, have fun, play free, and uh let the chips fall where they may, but you have to play free and confident above all. Chad, what was your view just of the the 48 minutes as a whole and uh some controllable things that you all uh can try to take care of in game seven? Yeah, obviously uh that’s a high level game on the road right there. Um you know, they came ready to play and uh they came out swinging, throwing punches and uh you know, I feel like we did a good job of handling that first punch and then responding and uh you know, it was really a game of runs back and forth. Um, but we have to figure out how to sustain that better throughout the game. Um, we can’t let them go on big runs, energy, momentum plays, and things like that. Uh, you know, I I think they’re a really good team and they make really good plays, but, uh, you know, I feel like there were were some that we left out there, uh, places I could definitely be better where we could clean up, make things tougher on them. Uh, you know, you can’t give a good team easy looks. Chad, you you mentioned doing a better job of sort of suppressing their runs. U you guys were up 12, I believe, with two minutes left in that first half. What did you see sort of happen in those two minutes and and did you feel like that had any impact at all and what transpired in the second half? Yeah, obviously uh you know that’s kind of exactly what I was talking about. I got to go back and watch the tape and figure out exactly uh what happened during that stretch. uh you know I was out there on the floor and uh couldn’t always see the whole play uh you know from my point of view but uh you know we we had some we had some plays that were controllable that uh you know if we kind of just stick to our uh some of our fundamentals uh you know it would have put us in a better position on some of those plays but um you know we also have to understand that that’s part of the game. It’s an imperfect game and uh I don’t I don’t think we let the runs bleed in longer than uh we were able to respond to them. Uh but we just have to understand it’s a game of runs. No matter how good you are, the other team’s going to make runs and we just have to be ready to respond. To my understanding, no one on this team has played in a game seven, not even Alex. I guess what’s sort of the mindset going into this game seven? Yeah, I mean we got a couple guys who have uh back in the bubble, but um you know the mindset is exactly what it is. It’s win or go home. Uh you know there is no you know trying to keep anything in the tank. Uh you know it doesn’t matter what’s in the tank if your if your season’s over. So we know what’s at stake. Denver knows what’s at stake. And uh you know it’s exactly what it is. Game seven. Anyone else? Michael, you have the last one. Throughout this series, obviously Jokic was a major challenge. You guys have had some extra additions with just Jay Will’s minutes increasing. Can you just talk about his impact in this series and just overall in the playoffs? Yeah. Uh that’s who Jay Will is. He’s he’s going to be ready. Uh you know, as a professional and as a person. Uh you know, he he’s ready. He wants to be out there. He wants to uh contribute as much as he can to this team. Uh it doesn’t matter what position he’s put in, what he’s asked to do uh on the court, off the court, you know, he’s ready. He brings it every night and it’s huge for us. And you know, we’re going to continue to need that from him going forward. and uh you know he’s one of those guys that not only myself but everybody loves playing next to besides makes and misses. What did you feel like were um maybe controllable things on your end tonight? Um I think we put them on the free throw line too much. That’s a controllable for sure. I think we didn’t do the best job like controlling some of the stretches of the game. So, I think kind of panicked a little bit going down eight. Actually, don’t know if panic is the right word. I think we just didn’t have the right process in regards to how to get stops and I think we kind of paid the price for that. Um, and then the game kind of got away. D obviously like every game for you in the series has not been the same, but like of the games that maybe sort of feel similar to this. Like what are some of the things is there a common denominator of things that you feel you could do differently and that you maybe want to turn for game seven? Make shots. I think I got to spots I wanted to get to and then didn’t go in. It’s just how basketball works. Uh but nah, not really. I think I had a good process of what I was doing. I just heard us tonight not making shots like that’s affecting you. What? The thing that you can your mic your mic cut out for the first part of that. The thing that you can or cannot talk about that, you know, the wrist. Do you feel like that’s affected you at all series? Nah, just my process about going about and uh um that’s been something that’s been going on all year. So um yeah, I don’t really have too much to say to it. It’s not the reason why I’m making or missing shots. What’s something that’s been going on? Oh, yeah. Just like, you know, I mean, we’ve all seen the tape in my hand. That’s not like anything new for the series, so it hasn’t affected anything that’s been going on. Dub, you’re understandably hard on yourself after a loss like this. How do you sort of put that behind you uh maybe emotionally, mentally ahead of a game seven? Uh, I think we’ve been big on just saying like, you know, it’s first to four, so obviously this game you kind of just have to be willing to wipe the slate clean. And, you know, I don’t think anybody on our team really cares about the game after we play it. You know what I mean? Like, we still have to go out and the next game’s going to go up when it’s going to be 00. We’re going to have to play another another really good game. So, I think that’s how I think about it. I think that’s how the team thinks about it. Um, and yeah, just kind of be ready to bounce back. That’s what we’ve been doing all year and we’re going to have to do it again. In terms of the half court, how do you find the balance between creating for yourself and for others? Obviously with the assist tonight, you were a playmaking expert, but in terms of finding that balance, like how is it for you mentally? Um, just trusting my teammates. Uh, I’m going to get shots that I want to shoot and I’m going to get like I’m going to get opportunities to score the ball. But I think what makes our team really good is we have other guys that are ready for those moments and ready to play off the catch and make shots. So I try and always keep that in the back of my head and in order to win games, you know, you need all however many guys are playing in the game to be ready to make plays and we’ve been able to do that a lot. So um I think just finding a balance is like just understanding where guys are on the floor and what what we’re trying to get accomplished offensively. You said you feel like your your process has been good. it. Are there anything is there anything the Nuggets have thrown at you over the last three games in terms of kind of individual matchups or different looks that that you feel like is at least making it tougher for you to to get to your spot? Uh, not honestly. I think it’s been pretty consistent the whole um the whole series. Uh, you know, there’s been like tweaks that I feel like only each team would probably know just when you get into like the the grit of a series, but I feel like it’s kind of been the same. Like we’ve all seen the zone and stuff like that’s not really new to the series and I think our matchups have almost been the same the whole entire time. So I wouldn’t say there’s been any like extra curve balls to the series that they’ve thrown out. Dub, you Mark and the rest of the team have all talked about how this series has made you guys stronger and more resilient throughout, but you guys have had plenty of challenges standing up and like game two was a big one, four or five. How will that sort of help you even though I know it’s a new environment in game seven. How will those experiences help you? Yeah, I mean those are those are experiences where you can lay down and accept defeat and we’ve done a good job at standing tall with it. So this is another opportunity to do that and everybody’s excited for for the moment. D you at the end of the game there you were sort of lingering on the bench sitting down for a while with the towel on your head and Caruso was the the the hand that reached out to you sort of what was going through your head then and and what did that mean for for you to him to sort of pull you up? Uh AC always gets me off the bench win or loss. um that that’s just like a routine thing. So, I don’t want to drag that too high into something. But, I don’t know. He’s just he’s just a good vet. Like, he’s just somebody there to uh pick you up when you’re down. And obviously, I didn’t play the way I wanted to play. So, I was just trying to process just the game and my emotions and that that was really it. But, AC always gets us off the bench. It’s usually me and Jay Will, like if we’re sitting, he usually picks us both up. But, um yeah, I don’t want to like read too much into it, but he he is a good leader and he’s somebody that can pick you up while you’re down. What looked different from Denver tonight, especially from Strawther and Brown. They shot well. They came in, made some big buckets. I don’t want to make it like like downplay what they did. Um but yeah, they they came in were ready, made shots, so you got to tip your hat to them. Uh who did you say? Strawther and who? Brown. Yeah. Yeah, they hit shots. They they played within the team. Um so yeah, we’ll have to look at that and and go from there, but they were ready to play. Was that the difference in the fourth quarters? cuz the last two fourth quarters for Denver have been iffy, but not tonight. Um, yeah, I think that probably has something to do with it. Strawther hit some big threes down the stretch. Um, Christian was making plays all night, cutting, hitting threes. So, um, yeah, they were they were definitely a big difference maker tonight. Mark, what was your view of the 48 minutes? Uh, it just seemed like maybe compared to some of the other games in the series, your team didn’t quite have its fast ball the way that it had. Yeah, I thought, you know, we played a really good first half. I thought, um, to weather the early storm the way we did and only be down three at the end of the first quarter was positive. We obviously took control of the game in the second, which was positive. And then, uh, they just outplayed us in the second half. You know, they were sharper, executed better, made more plays, so, you know, credit them. They went and got the game. Mark, how how relevant did you feel the close to the first half was at all to to what happened in the second half? Say that again. living, did you feel the close to the first half was to to what had all transpired in the second half? Um, we didn’t close the first half great, but you know, when halftime ends, you get 24 minutes to go play your best regardless of what just happened. So, um, you know, we had that opportunity, so did they. They outplayed us in the second half. And I believe Shay, Hardenstein, and Jay Will all got their third foul like almost in succession. Like, what did you feel changed when that happened? And do you feel that sort of had a larger impact on on the way things played out in the game? Um, I mean, it obviously impacted uh substitutions, you know, trying to manage that a little bit, which isn’t out of the ordinary. Um, they all ended, you know, without fouling out. So, they were able to manage it in the game. Um, I was a little bit conscious of it obviously at the end of the first to get Shay there with four. Um, but otherwise, you know, again, you know, we had the same opportunity Denver did in the second half and they outplayed us. Mark, what what did you see from Dub tonight? And his performance has kind of fluctuated game to game this series. Like, what needs to be more consistent on his end? Um, well, the first thing is, you know, let’s talk about what is consistent, which is, you know, his defense, his floor game. You know, he had a bunch of assists tonight. um you know played really hard and competitive as he always does. So it’s like that’s the floor of his game, you know, even when he has a rough shooting night like he did and it’s still very impactful in the game, but obviously didn’t shoot the ball well. You know, most of the looks I thought were shots he can make uh that didn’t go his way. I mean, he has he misses a dunk late. It’s like, you know, you just kind of laugh that one off at that point. So, um but again, you know, he’s such a valuable floor game player. There’s so much more that he does than score that um even on a night that was rough uh from the floor um he still has a high impact on the team. Guy that you have to pick up or does he kind of do that on his own emotionally kind of bouncing back from this one? Does it on his own. He’s pretty good there. You know, really motivated competitor like he’ll be ready to go on Sunday. You know, I’m sure he’s disappointed uh as we all are in the outcome of the game. Um, and we’re all looking at what we could have done better, but um, when the ball goes up in the air Sunday, he’s going to be ready to rock. Mark, you’ve said that every every game is a chance for you guys to grow as a team, you know, being young and everything like that. What’s your message going into a game seven to kind of settle them and just make sure that they know that, you know, this is just another game as I not another game, but how do you settle them for game seven? Um, I mean, well, first of all, credit Denver, you know, like they they threw a punch tonight as this as has happened in the series. I mean, both teams are exchanging blows and they got theirs in tonight. Um, and both teams have done a great job of standing back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday. Um, and then other than that, I mean, we need to be who we’ve been all season, uh, and embrace the opportunity that’s in front of us. Um, we get to play that game at home because of the work we did during the regular season, uh, in front of our fans. So, um, you know, we’re obviously disappointed in the outcome tonight, but, when the ball goes up in the air, we’ll be excited to go. because I think you guys shot 27% from three. In terms of the quality of the looks, do you like the shots that you’re getting or is there maybe some improvement in efficiency in the creation of in the half court? It’s always a mixed bag, but at first glance, uh, decent, especially the ones that end, you know, like ball movement possessions where we really work the possession and get a great look. I mean, you just, you know, sometimes you miss them. Um, you know, we’ll look at the quality of every shot, every offensive possession as we always do, but um, generally I thought we tried to play the right way. Mark Jamal Murray was, I think, plus 28 for them. The second highest guy they had was plus 17. We know about him as a shot maker. What was he doing in kind of the smaller phases or intricacies of the game that that you felt like made it tough for for you guys or or that he was excelling in tonight? Um, I mean, at the end of the day, it’s it’s the same deal with him, Joic. I mean, they’re great players, you know, so um there was a sharpness to both of those guys tonight. And then they got a huge lift from Brown. They got a huge lift from Strather, obviously, um and some of their other guys. So, I mean, they just collectively played better than we did in the second half, um and went and got that game. So, you tip your hat to them. You know, we got to learn the lessons. Obviously, continue to improve the things that we need to do um to ladder up to a win on Sunday. But, um as for tonight, you know, credit those guys. They played really well. Mark, you said a few times now that Denver had the same opportunity as you did in the second half and that they just outplayed you. Are there specific things you’re you’re pointing to in the second half that just leaped to the front of your mind right now? No, I was just saying that in reference to the first half, you know, how the first half ended, foul trouble, stuff like that. You know, at the end of the day, you know, you just got to reset in the game. You got to reset in the game um each stoppage, each opportunity that you can. you know, we came back from fourth quarter deficits. We had been outplayed in those games until the fourth quarter. And in the last two games, we, you know, just won that quarter, you know, and tonight we didn’t. Um, so that’s all I was referring to.

Hear from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Head Coach Mark Daigneault following the Thunder’s 119 – 107 loss in Game 6.

0:00 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
5:24 Chet Holmgren
9:07 Jalen Williams
15:04 Coach Daigneault

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