“These guys are uncommon,” said Daigneault, who was an assistant at Florida when the Thunder lost to Miami in the ’12 Finals, was coaching Oklahoma City’s G-League team in ’16 and has been at the Thunder helm since 2020. “They do everything right. They’re professional. They’re high character ….”

There’s a common thread between the Pacers and Thunder that feels like an underrated component of their success

All season long, the Oklahoma City Thunder displayed dominance unlike any other team and that all culminated with their first trip to the NBA Finals in 13 years.