Isaiah Hartenstein’s return to the court has come at a crucial time for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With star center Chet Holmgren sidelined due to a fractured pelvis, Hartenstein has become a key player for the team. He will look to build on a strong season debut when the Thunder face the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Hartenstein missed the first 15 games of the season after breaking his left hand. But he had a standout performance on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring 13 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking four shots in 29 minutes off the bench during Oklahoma City’s 109-99 win.
“He’s still a little bit rusty out there,” said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “But he changed the game for sure. He’s an anchor. He sees everything, lets you know early and loud. And it’s great to have that behind you. It allows you to adhere to the ball, be aggressive, and be decisive defensively. Yeah, he was special.”
Hartenstein was signed by the Thunder in the offseason with a surprising three-year, $87 million contract. The big offer came after he had a career year with the New York Knicks, starting 49 games and averaging 7.8 points and a career-high 8.3 rebounds.
He was originally signed to be a supporting player in the frontcourt, but with Holmgren out for around two months after being injured against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 10, Hartenstein’s role is expected to expand.
Jalen Williams, who has been playing in the frontcourt while both Holmgren and Hartenstein were out, also praised Hartenstein’s work ethic during his recovery. Williams said Hartenstein kept working on his game, even without the use of his dominant hand.
“I think just coming in there day in and day out, knowing you have to condition and work on your game without your dominant hand, is tough,” Williams said. “He made the most of it, and now he’s coming back. I didn’t really see the ramp-up, obviously. We’ve been on the road or gone when he got the cast off. I assume he was working just as hard when he got the cast off.”
Monday’s game marks the start of a tough stretch for the Thunder, who will play 10 of their next 12 games on the road.
Meanwhile, the Kings are struggling, having lost three straight games, their worst losing streak of the season. They were defeated 108-103 by the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.
Sacramento allowed 19 three-pointers, including 13 in the first half, and committed 16 turnovers that led to 24 points for Brooklyn.
“To give up 13 made 3s the way we did in the first half is tough to live with,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said. “On top of that, we turned the ball over. We had 16 turnovers for 24 points. Somehow, someway, we have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball.”
De’Aaron Fox had a great game, scoring 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He has topped 30 points in three of his last five games, averaging 39.4 points during that stretch, including a franchise-record 60 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 15.
However, Fox struggled in the fourth quarter against the Nets, taking just three shots, none of which went in, and scoring only one point. Sacramento was outscored 20-15 in the final period, shooting just 6 of 23 from the field and missing all seven of their 3-point attempts.
DeMar DeRozan (18 points) was 3 of 8 in the fourth quarter, and Domantas Sabonis (13 points, 18 rebounds) was 1 of 6.
“These guys have a lot of freedom out there to do what they want out there …,” Brown said about DeRozan and Sabonis. “I would not say those guys were in his way. But we would rather see Foxy stay aggressive, too.”
Last season, the two teams split their four matchups.
