Mark Daigneault explains advantages OKC playoff crowd brings to Thunder
Running opponents out of the gym, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been an unstoppable machine at their home gym throughout the 2025 NBA playoffs. Sans a heroic Aaron Gordon game-winner, the first seed has beaten teams by double-digit points in the first three rounds.
Several Thunder players have discussed the boost the OKC crowd has. Paycom Center is notorious for having one of the best homecourt advantages. This year's playoff run was a reminder to the rest of the league as the Thunder return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
Even Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault notices the intangible jump fans can provide. He made sure to close his postgame speech when they won the Western Conference Finals by asking fans to rest up for the week, as they will need them for Game 1 on Thursday, June 5.
'I walk out there three minutes before the game and everybody is ready. They're in their seats. They're standing. Their T-shirts are on. They not only help you when you're on a positive run and it's gotten unbelievably loud, they've also done a great job," Daigneault said. "But there was a time in Game 5 in the third quarter where we didn't really have our footing and Minnesota was starting to get some confidence. It felt a little uneasy what was going on at the court. They sensed that it was a moment the team needed them."
The Thunder still don't know their NBA Finals opponent. It'll be either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks. But considering an Eastern Conference squad hasn't made multiple visits to OKC in over a decade, expect the winner to experience a culture shock that'll take the first few minutes to get used to.
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