Alex Caruso and the Oklahoma City Thunder are gearing up for a back-to-back mini-series against the Denver Nuggets at the Paycom Center. Six players, including the entire starting lineup, sat out of Friday’s 107-89 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault labeled it a great program win for his team, which will look to extend its six-game winning streak in a two-game series against the Nuggets.
For Caruso, the timing is perfect for the Thunder.
“It’s just a good test for us, especially playing a noon game on Sunday. That’s something that the postseason brings that you might have. So, it’s a good opportunity to prepare for that, and then obviously the opponent, playing against such a good player in Jokic and a good team with championship-caliber players in history over the last couple of years,” Caruso said.
“They’re a good team. They know how to play. So for us, it’s going to be a great disciplined challenge, and just a great game for us the closer we get to postseason play,” Caruso concluded.
In 2023-24, the Thunder and Nuggets tied for the best record in the Western Conference. The two teams enter Sunday’s matinee with their season series tied, 1-1. Oklahoma City defeated the Nuggets 102-87 in their second game of the regular season, and Denver avenged its loss with a 124-122 win on November 6.
After a grueling two-week stretch of playing in nine different cities, including Oklahoma City, Daigneault gave his top-six rotation players a night off on Friday in preparation for their back-to-back against the Nuggets. Then, the Thunder will hit the road for three of their following four games against the champion Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks before returning home to host the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mark Daigneault on Thunder’s' program win’ vs. Trail Blazers
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Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In a game where Jaylin Williams recorded his first triple-double, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault explained why Friday’s win with Alex Caruso and the rest of his bench players against the Trail Blazers was memorable.
During his media availability, Daigneault revealed why it was a unique game for the Thunder organization.
“That was a great program win for us. That’s one that we can be really proud of as a complete program because that’s a reflection of, first of all, having the right guys and also having a system in place where they can keep themselves confident and sharp when their role increases, like some guys tonight, and when they’re not normally in the rotation,” Daigneault said.
After watching their 16-point lead dwindle to two, the shorthanded Thunder kept the Trail Blazers at bay in the final minutes of an 18-point win.