The Oklahoma City Thunder knew the stakes for Wednesday night’s Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they didn’t let that intimidate them.
Following their 124-94 win over the T-Wolves, Mark Daigneault applauded his team and talked about how they remained cool under pressure.
“The focus through the distraction of a closeout game to go to the Finals is what was most impressive,” Daigneault said. “I mean, they were laser focused today, and that allowed our best to come to the surface.”
The Thunder easily handled the Timberwolves, and the game wasn’t close at all.
Halfway through the match, it became very apparent that the Thunder would be advancing to the Finals for the first time since 2012.
They held a 65-32 halftime lead and sailed to victory just two quarters later.
Instead of letting the daunting expectations get to them, the Thunder performed even better under the bright lights and showcased both their offensive might and defensive strength.
This season has been filled with tests after tests for the Thunder, and their playoff run was the biggest.
They have put away all the doubts about them, and they are now about to compete for their first title.
Of course, playing through the Finals will be even harder than the playoffs, but the Thunder have shown what they are capable of, and their opponents should be very worried.
Expectations and pressure don’t get to this team.
If anything, it only fires them up more.
They reached another goal and another level on Wednesday night, and now they are trying to win just four more games to complete this miraculous season.
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