The Oklahoma City Thunder evened the Western Conference Finals at 1-1 after a 122-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 on Wednesday night at the Paycom Center.
Isaiah Hartenstein played a pivotal role, moving into a starting defensive assignment against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama after limited minutes in the series opener.
Hartenstein logged 27 minutes, contributing 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, 13 rebounds, and three assists while holding Wembanyama to just 10 points in the paint.
The defensive adjustments forced the Spurs into 21 turnovers, which the Thunder converted into 27 points, according to NBA.
com tracking data.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault admitted he felt conflicted about his rotation following the double-overtime loss in Game 1.
"It doesn't feel good playing Hart 12 minutes," Daigneault said. "It just didn't feel good to me."
The coach adjusted his strategy by speaking directly to Hartenstein during practice to outline the defensive assignment.
"I grabbed him yesterday to tell him," Daigneault explained. "I said, 'I didn't feel great about you playing 12 minutes last night.'
He said, 'I'll do whatever the team needs to go do.'"
Daigneault praised Hartenstein's professionalism and team-first mindset despite fluctuating minutes in the postseason.
"The guy is like an ultimate compete-together player," Daigneault said. "He’s a big-time team guy.
He’d rather give an assist than score a point."
Hartenstein emphasized that personal pride must be secondary to team success.
"If you want to play in a team sport, if you want to play on a team like this, you really have to put your ego aside and do what’s best for the team," Hartenstein said.
The center credited the coaching staff for maintaining a focused environment that allows players to adapt to structural changes.
"Mark does a great job of just communicating," Hartenstein said. "That’s one of his biggest strengths."
Hartenstein recalled that the organization's culture was a key factor during his recruitment by Thunder executive vice president Sam Presti.
"I can't promise you minutes. I can't promise you your role, but I can promise you a culture," Hartenstein said, quoting Presti.
Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points and nine assists, supporting the strategic decision to rely on Hartenstein's physical interior presence.
