Mark Daigneault remains unfazed after the Oklahoma City Thunder's surprising loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 1. The coach, a product of the analytics era, defended his strategy of fouling up three points in the final seconds—a tactic that has proven effective in many situations. However, the execution fell short this time, with two early fouls on Nikola Jokic allowing the Nuggets to claw back into the game. Despite the mistakes, Daigneault emphasized learning from the experience rather than dwelling on regrets.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's late free throws initially put the Thunder in a position of power, but Aaron Gordon's subsequent free throws and a crucial three-pointer flipped the script. Daigneault acknowledged that while the approach to fouling was sound, the execution was lacking. The Thunder's coach remains confident in his strategy moving forward, but he recognizes the need for improvement in high-pressure situations.