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OKC\u2019s Isaiah Hartenstein was a constant presence around San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama in Game 2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n OKLAHOMA CITY <\/strong>\u2014 A box score doesn\u2019t reveal everything.<\/p>\n But as Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault perused the box score from San Antonio\u2019s Game 1 double-overtime victory<\/a> on Monday, a number gnawed at him: Isaiah Hartenstein\u2019s minutes played.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel good playing Hart 12 minutes,\u201d Daigneault conceded. \u201cIt just didn\u2019t feel good to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Daigneault pulled Hartenstein aside at practice on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cHe kind of apologized, but it was more like, \u2018Hey, just be ready. Your number\u2019s going to be called more, and we\u2019re going to try to do something different,\u2019 \u201d Hartenstein explained.<\/p>\n Hartenstein played 27 minutes in Game 2 on Wednesday<\/a>, and his offensive and defensive contributions, especially guarding Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, were crucial to the Thunder\u2019s 122-113 victory, tying the Western Conference Finals at 1-1.<\/p>\n Hartenstein had 10 points, 13 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds<\/a>, three assists and spent important minutes engaged with Wembanyama, trying to make him work as hard as possible. Wembanyama still put up statistics: 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.<\/p>\n But he also had four turnovers, part of San Antonio\u2019s 21 turnovers that led to 27 Thunder points, and Wembanyama didn\u2019t dominate at the rim with dunks and layups the way he did in Game 1 when he scored 26 points in the paint. He had just 10 paint points in Game 2, and the 7-foot, 267-pound Hartenstein logged the most minutes defending Wembanyama, per NBA.com\u2019s box score data<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Thunder want to wear down Wembanyama with their size and strength by forcing him to play heavy minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe just did a good job of being physical,\u201d Thunder reserve Alex Caruso said of Hartenstein. \u201cMaking (Wembanyama) work all game, which I think ended up being beneficial for him on the glass late in the game. He cleaned that up offensively and defensively for us \u2013 a couple of possessions in a row that were really big. Just making it kind of trench warfare and putting his will on the line to go get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n Caruso drew the bulk of that difficult assignment in Game 1, and Wembanyama had a historic performance with 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The Thunder could not allow that again, at least not in Game 2 and facing the possibility of a 2-0 deficit.<\/p>\n \u201cHe did what he does,\u201d Daigneault said of Hartenstein. \u201cI don\u2019t think it was specific to Wembanyama. He played his game, and that\u2019s a physical brand that you have to deal with around the basket. The offensive rebounding is a huge thing and there\u2019s great gravity to that as well. I just thought again, great professionalism.\u201d<\/p>\n That professionalism fits into the Thunder ethos.<\/p>\n