Monday night was a rough one for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only did they lose the second part of a back-to-back with the Denver Nuggets, dropping a competitive 140-127 ball game, but they also lost one of the key cogs of their team.

T he Boston Celtics host the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night in what has the potential to be an NBA Finals preview. Boston is the defending champion, and OKC has -- far and

After Peyton Watson's foul on Jalen Williams, the All-Star slipped on the floor. He took a moment to get up before he held onto his hip area. He only played a few more possessions before being ruled out of the second half with a hip strain in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 140-127 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

At the same time, All-Star Nikola Jokic's 35 points led six Nuggets players in double-digits, including Jamal Murray's 34-point performance. After the loss, Daigneault pointed out Denver's unprecedented defense on the NBA's leading scorer, hindering Gilgeous-Alexander's performance.

After the game, Holmgren shared his thoughts on Daigneault’s approach. “His philosophy is exactly what mine would be if I was a coach. You don’t get to take the fouls home,” Holmgren said. The Thunder's player comment reflects his trust in his coach and his understanding of the game. Daigneault also explained his reasoning.

Fully rested, the Thunder will host the Denver Nuggets in a highly-anticipated home back-to-back on Sunday and Monday. The two games could swing undecided voters to Shai Gilgeous-