With goals from Chet Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Lugentz Dort, the Oklahoma City Thunder narrowly defeated the New York Knicks 103-100 on the road in their latest NBA regular season game of the 2025/26 season. In an interview, DeGnott stated that the team has become more competitive and knows what it takes to win.

Chet Holmgren scored 28 points and had two assists for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 points and 8 assists, and Lugentz Dort contributed 16 points and one assist.

When discussing the performance against the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach DeGnott said, "What impressed me most was the start of the fourth quarter. We didn't play well in the third quarter. We took an early lead, but they scored 40 points in that quarter alone."

“At the start of the fourth quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander was still on the bench. That lineup stabilized the game and maintained the lead when they regained control, which was a very stable period. He wasn’t originally in the rotation plan, but we had several players out injured. I wouldn’t put him on the court to give it his all if I wasn’t sure he was ready.”

Degnot emphasized, "Everyone talks about being ready to play at any time, and that's one thing, but it's another when a player knows he's about to be called upon and is still ready."

Regarding Chet Holmgren's key performance, Degnot said, "I think it's a result of the attacking system working well. The opponents used their forwards to defend Chet Holmgren throughout the game, and we did a good job of advancing possession before they got into position, forcing them to keep rotating their defense."

“He was guarding forwards throughout the game, and the basic skills required to defend those players are a completely different system than defending the center. He can switch between these two roles, which is a huge advantage for us.”

In addition, Degnot stated, "The team has reached a level of maturity in terms of competition and knows how to win. However, this does not mean that we will win every game, but they know the path to victory."

"This is the muscle memory built up throughout the regular season. As the season draws to a close, you need to make yourself mentally stronger."

Image source: Internet