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Recap: What happened at OKC Thunder's Wednesday, Apr. 15 practice
TL;DR
The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on April 15 as they await their opponent for the playoffs, which will be determined after the play-in tournament. They could face the Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, or Golden State Warriors for the eighth seed.
The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on Wednesday. For the third straight year, they're enjoying a week off as they await to see who grabs the eighth seed on Friday at the conclusion of the play-in tournament.
The possibilities are down to three. They will either face the Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers or Golden State Warriors as the eighth seed. The Portland Trail Blazers clinched the seventh seed in their 114-110 win over the Suns in the play-in tournament.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, Lu Dort and Alex Caruso talked to the local media after practice. Daigneault broke down what OKC's coaching staff does at this time of the year. Dort discussed what he thought of being required to play the last two regular-season games to become eligible for All-Defense Teams. And Caruso explained what the NBA playoffs are about.
Here's what else happened at OKC's Wednesday, Apr. 15 practice:
Another Thunder practice day. They’ll find out tonight who will face the Sun for the 8th seed on Friday pic.twitter.com/8CLFzI9xFH
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
New hairstyle for Kenrich Williams ahead of the playoffs pic.twitter.com/zn6Xrt9Dd2
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Mark Daigneault on last night’s play-in games: “It was fun. The NBA must be happy. They invented the play-in and it went really well.” pic.twitter.com/65fWZLiDvw
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Mark Daigneault on Jalen Williams’ defense: “I think the combination of his ability to fight the handler on the perimeter and then protect the basket is very unique. There's not a lot of guys, when you think about it, that can pressure guards effectively 40 feet from the basket… pic.twitter.com/lapJ57dMVB
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Mark Daigneault on OKC’s coaching staff: “The first thing we benefit from is the same thing the team benefits from, which is continuity. We've been together a long, long time… Dave Bliss and Mike Wilks are organizational staples for years prior to me becoming the head coach.” pic.twitter.com/qgjWYtMT7i
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Mark Daigneault on Ajay Mitchell: “He's a huge piece for us. It's the ability to be a secondary creator on the court. It's the ability to be a primary creator at times... He's an excellent on-ball defender. He's an excellent help defender.” pic.twitter.com/AUjxZSWHlb
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Alex Caruso on Mark Daigneault: “He's won all the prestigious awards coaches can win, won a championship, but he's still humble enough to try to improve as a coach.” pic.twitter.com/CN0eBKzYj9
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Alex Caruso on the playoffs: “This is what I live for. You can get lost in the shuffle in the regular season, just how much of a marathon it is. This is a different beast. It’s very high stress. It’s very focused. It’s a details game. It’s a commitment to suffering game.” pic.twitter.com/v47wg8cYgx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Alex Caruso on becoming a fan favorite in the playoffs last year: “Humbly, that's been a thing for me everywhere I've been. I think that whatever level I played at, there's been that infatuation and an affection towards the crowd and the fans.” pic.twitter.com/yMRN84tfCi
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Lu Dort on how much Jalen Williams’ wingspan helps him be a plus defender: “A lot. I wish I had it. That’s his body. He knows how to use it. He’s able to get steals, blocks.” pic.twitter.com/CsAceYtoeg
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Lu Dort on going back-to-back: “We try our best to not think about that. Obviously, we got to go back and play the first team that we got to go against, and that's our main focus after that.” pic.twitter.com/3FFDkMJgWk
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Lu Dort on needing to play the last 2 regular season games to qualify for All-Defense: “There's nothing that we can do about it. Try your best to be available. Sometimes you're unlucky where you're not able to play some games just because you hurt. But yeah, it is what it is.” pic.twitter.com/QgPYmC9BdI
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
Lu Dort on getting ready for the playoffs: “I just go back to YouTube and watch some of the stuff that we did last year. What we accomplished was amazing. Sometimes when I go back and look at it, it puts me back in that mode.” pic.twitter.com/Wnw2hwvrpk
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 15, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Recap: What happened at OKC Thunder's Wednesday, Apr. 15 practice
Q&A
Who will the Oklahoma City Thunder face in the playoffs?
The Thunder will face either the Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, or Golden State Warriors for the eighth seed in the playoffs.
What did Luguentz Dort say about the last two regular-season games?
Luguentz Dort discussed the importance of playing the last two regular-season games to become eligible for All-Defense Teams.
What is the significance of the play-in tournament for the Thunder?
The play-in tournament determines which team secures the eighth seed, and the Thunder are waiting to see who they will face in the playoffs.
What did Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discuss after practice?
Mark Daigneault explained the coaching staff's activities during this time of year as they prepare for the playoffs.
