Despite starting the NBA season late with his new club, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein quickly found his role in the team. The German center played a key role in “OKC” becoming the title favorite in the NBA.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the two best teams of the NBA season so far met on Wednesday evening (January 8th, 2025, local time). The statistics-loving US media had previously dug through the databases to show that it really was a special top game: with the Cavaliers and the Thunder, two teams met that had each won 30 of their first 35 games of the season hasn’t happened in the NBA for more than 50 years. It was also only the third time ever that two teams with a winning streak of more than ten games met in the regular season. Oklahoma City had even won 15 games in a row, a record for the Thunder franchise.
Cavs win duel between top teams – and end “OKC” series
A series of successes therefore inevitably had to come to an end, and in the end the “Cavs” prevailed 129:122 in a direct duel between the previous high-flyers of the season. Cleveland remains the team with the best record in the NBA with 32-4 wins, although their top star Donovan Mitchell only scored 11 points. Jarret Allen (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Evan Mobley (21 points, 10 rebounds) were impressive.
For Oklahoma City, Isaiah Hartenstein once again delivered a strong performance with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, as in previous weeks. The 26-year-old German center, who came to Oklahoma City from the New York Knicks in the summer, started the season late due to a broken hand, but then quickly found his role in the starting lineup and showed what value he has for “OKC”. can.
Isaiah Hartenstein – arrived at “OKC”
Hartenstein had already set an exclamation mark in the top duel before, on Sunday against the Boston Celtics: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team’s star, sent a high alley-oop pass to the German “big man” in the zone. Hartenstein not only stuffed the ball spectacularly through the hoop, he also cleared Boston defender Derrick White out of the way when he landed.
Hartenstein’s action was a highlight in a strong final phase for the Thunder – and possibly the game changer with which “OKC” demonstrated to the NBA champions from Boston, who had been dominant for a long time, that there was nothing to be gained for them either.
It could be against the Celtics again in June, then the NBA Finals are coming up. For many US experts, “OKC” is now more than just a contender for the championship title, but a real challenger. This is not only due to the great leader Gilgeous-Alexander, for many the top favorite for the MVP title, but above all to the tough, excellently coordinated defense. “OKC” is by far the best defensive team in the league, the champions from Boston managed a measly 27 points against them in the second half. This is despite the fact that Chet Holmgren, the team’s defensive anchor, has been out since November with a pelvic injury.
Breakthrough with the Knicks – Shake hands with Spike Lee
But that’s why the Thunder have Hartenstein, their new clearer under the basket: Hartenstein immediately built on his performance with the Knicks in Oklahoma City. There he finally made his breakthrough last season in his seventh NBA year and became a favorite of fans and critics. He enjoyed the atmosphere in the famous Madison Square Garden: He once high-fived Spike Lee, who has been sitting in row one at Knicks games for ages, and then posted the scene on social media. In the fifth semifinal game against the Pacers, Hartenstein grabbed 17 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive board, equaling a 30-year-old playoff record for the Knicks.
Monster contract with “OKC” – and new ones Career highs for Hartenstein
In New York, Hartenstein became one of the most sought-after players at his position. This is also why the Thunder management gave him a monster contract worth $87 million for three years in the summer. Rebounding was previously considered one of the Thunder’s weak points; the local newspaper “Oklahoman” also celebrated Hartenstein’s signing in the summer as “perfect fit“, on the way to the longed-for first NBA title.
In Oklahoma City, Hartenstein further improved his already good statistics, with 12.2 rebounds and 12 points per game, which are the best values of his career. In addition, there are his qualities that do not appear in the box score: Hartenstein acts with a lot of overview, with his physicality and presence under the basket he always manages to take away the opponent’s chances to shoot and change the statics of their attacks.
Not in my living room: Isaiah Hartenstein blocks Clippers player Kevin Porter Jr.
But he has also developed further in the offensive game: Hartenstein has excellent timing, he knows when to set the right block for his teammates and is also becoming more and more of a passer and preparer: he now has an average of four assists, i.e. direct ones Basket assists, per game.
After difficult early years in Houston and Denver, Hartenstein has achieved a real standing in the best basketball league in the world. He knows his worth and now represents this with the necessary self-confidence: “I found a role that many NBA teams need to win. Not everyone can say that” said Hartenstein in an interview with the trade magazine BIG in the summer.
Possible comeback in the DBB team – already European Championship?
Of course, this also makes him interesting for the German national team. Hartenstein, who was born in Oregon as the son of a German college basketball player, grew up in Quakenbrück, but went to Lithuania at the age of 17 to the Zalgiris Kaunas talent factory. Since moving to college in 2017, Hartenstein has been playing in the USA, feels at home there and is married to a Texan.
Recently, however, he has repeatedly spoken about his relationship with Germany: at the end of December he announced that he would acquire shares in the Bundesliga club from Ulm. And Hartenstein has also signaled his willingness to make a comeback to the national team several times; the timing couldn’t be better: After the farewell to national coach Gordon Herbert, who has always relied on a solid group of players in recent years, the cards are being dealt to the DBB team. Team reshuffled. And with the injured Moritz Wagner, a leader in the big positions is out for the European Championships in late summer – this role would be perfect for a player like Hartenstein.