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Thunder Tie Western Final After Hartenstein Start

Coach Mark Daigneault reinserted Isaiah Hartenstein to emphasize size and physicality, a move that limited Victor Wembanyama’s rim scoring and shifted the series' tactical balance.

Overview

  • The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 to even the Western Conference Finals 1-1 in a Game 2 victory that came Wednesday.
  • Daigneault apologized for Hartenstein’s light role in Game 1 and told him he would start Game 2 and take primary defensive responsibility on Wembanyama.
  • Hartenstein played 27 minutes, finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and logged the most minutes defending Wembanyama while using physicality and offensive rebounding to influence possessions.
  • San Antonio committed 21 turnovers that produced 27 Thunder points, a result reporters and team sources linked to Oklahoma City’s defensive pressure and the Thunder’s game plan.
  • Hartenstein’s performance underscores his value since joining OKC in 2024-25, fitting the team’s culture-first roster and offering a repeatable matchup tool the Thunder now plan to use going forward.