OKLAHOMA CITY — Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves on the wrong end of two consecutive losses decided by a final play that didn't end with the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's hands. After scoring 47 points in a 117-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off Sunday's 103-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors as one of “those nights” where the pendulum swung in the Raptors' favor by two points.
But Toronto's coverage of Shai was by design. Gilgeous-Alexander entered halftime with nine points on 2-of-4 shooting before he went a perfect 4-for-4 in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 23 points, but couldn't get a look down the stretch. SGA scored his only field goal in the fourth quarter at the 5:40 mark to extend a six-point Thunder lead.
He made a free throw, pushing the Thunder's lead to two (97-95) just before the 2-minute mark, which was his final point of the night. Then, Immanuel Quickley drained back-to-back threes. The Thunder countered with two consecutive 3-point attempts from Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams, two reserves who Daigneault would typically have on the bench in the final minute of a game.
“It felt like we had control of the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the loss. “We were getting good looks offensively. They had 103 points tonight. That usually does it for us.”
Without All-Star Jalen Williams and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in the lineup, Kenrich has taken on an increased role, including spot starts in Hartenstein's absence, as the same could be said about Wiggins, who started for Jalen. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault instills confidence at a high level in all of his players, and it shows when half of his rotation is on the sidelines.
Guys like Kenrich and Wiggins aren't afraid to take important shots that could decide a game and have, respectively, drained big fourth-quarter shots throughout their time with the Thunder. Daigneault doesn't often cater the offense to one particular player, instead letting the opposing defense dictate Oklahoma City's next move. However, plays out of a timeout when trailing in the final minute of the fourth quarter should almost always be designed for SGA.
He has to find a way to get the ball into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's hands, especially in the final minute of a one-possession game. The shorthanded Thunder, missing two starters, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell, in Sunday's matchup, got a lift from Holmgren's put-back. Still, it was Daigneault and the Thunder's following play that decided Oklahoma City's fate.
Chet Holmgren's attempt over Scottie Barnes in Thunder loss
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren took two dribbles to his left and pulled up for a contested 7-foot jump shot that Scottie Barnes blocked with 28.6 seconds left. After the Thunder intentionally fouled the Raptors to stop the clock, the Raptors grabbed an offensive rebound. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander never had a say in Sunday's two-point loss. Does Holmgren's forced attempt fall on coach Mark Daigneault's shoulders?
While it's encouraging to get Holmgren looks amidst a critical moment in the game, and he had just scored on the Thunder's previous possession, this was an ideal opportunity to give the ball to Gilgeous-Alexander. Not setting up the reigning MVP for a better attempt should be a priority, or perhaps Holmgren didn't execute the play as Daigneault drew it up.
Barnes BLOCKS Chet Holmgren’s shot. Toronto regains possession with 21.7 seconds left, clinging onto a 101-99 lead.
What a stop out of the Thunder timeout pic.twitter.com/6saRv544jy
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) January 26, 2026
Despite fouling Jamal Shead, paying off in his missed free throws, fouling Immanuel Quickley, who made two of his to make it a one-possession game, didn't. The Thunder surrendered a costly rebound that would have given Daigneault a chance to put the ball in SGA's hands.
Without enough time to score and send the Raptors to the line once more, Wiggins' long two fell through the bottom of the net as the game clock of a two-point Thunder loss expired at the Paycom Center.
The Thunder's loss to the Raptors comes on the heels of a three-point loss to the Pacers that ended with a 3-point attempt from Isaiah Joe, who dribbled deep into the corner for a desperation triple to send the game into overtime that bounced off the rim as the game clock expired.
Raptors' Immanuel Quickley's pair of threes put the Thunder in a hole it never climbed out of, as Holmgren's rushed and contested shot spelled out Oklahoma City's second consecutive loss at home, which is only its fifth on the season.
“They obviously made some shots and some plays. We didn't. When you get down to that point of the game, it comes down to time management, clock management — I thought we did a decent job of that, and gave ourselves a chance,” Daigneault said. “But when you get into a game that's that close, it's going to come down to makes and misses. And the trick is: Can you play a floor game throughout the 48 where you have more control of it to that point?
“But we've found ourselves in that situation the last couple of nights. We've done a decent job of trying to give ourselves a chance to win. It hasn't gone our way, but that still doesn't mean we can't learn from it.”
Holmgren finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 attempts and 10 rebounds. Lu Dort connected on four threes en route to 19 points, and Kenrich Williams' 15 points and five rebounds led the Thunder's bench.
Did SGA allude to not getting the ball in Thunder's loss?
Coach Mark Daigneault understands that Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has grown accustomed to seeing opposing teams double-team him when the ball is in his hands. For most teams, it's a necessary approach for the reigning MVP and scoring champion, especially if you have the personnel to do it effectively, which was undoubtedly the case for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes anchors a top-5 defense.
And with Thunder's All-Defensive forward Jalen Williams, and rim-protecting center Isaiah Hartenstein in street clothes for Sunday's matchup at the Paycom Center, Barnes and the Raptors game plan to limit Gilgeous-Alexander worked. It was enough for the Raptors to either stay ahead or within striking distance as SGA's only significant retort was in his 11-point third quarter.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault turned to Holmgren for the game-tying play, which lasted no longer than six seconds into the 24-second shot clock, as Chet appeared to jump the gun a bit with Barnes, an All-Defensive Team candidate, right in front of him. After the loss, a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander about his approach when teams constantly double-team him and try to disrupt his offensive rhythm.
“Just play basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander replied. “The goal of the game offensively is to put two guys on the ball. And there, you just make a play, whether they volunteer to put two or you gotta force to put two, it's the same thing. Yeah, just play basketball.”
Sunday's loss marked the first time the Thunder has lost two consecutive games at the Paycom Center since November of 2023.
