Thunder’s Mark Daigneault is NBA Coach of the Year after leading young team to No. 1 seed in West

By CLIFF BRUNT The Associated Press

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault watches play during the second half in Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Nate Billings]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Mark Daigneault has been named NBA Coach of the Year after leading one of the league’s youngest teams to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. He joins Scott Brooks as the only Thunder coaches to win the award. The Thunder went 57-25 this season and clinched a tie for the best record in the West on the dramatic final day of the regular season. The other finalists were Minnesota’s Chris Finch and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley. Both saw double-digit increases in wins this season. Daigneault was named the award’s winner on Sunday.