Isaiah Hartenstein speaks on stepping up for OKC with defending Victor Wembanyama

Isaiah Hartenstein speaks on stepping up for OKC with defending Victor Wembanyama originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Isaiah Hartenstein suddenly became one of the most important players on the court for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2.

While he did start Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs , Hartenstein played only 12 minutes because Victor Wembanyama dominated him in a legendary 41-point, 24-rebound performance. Hartenstein made sure to bounce back in Game 2, and he did well in his 27 minutes. He was a nuisance all night, as he was physical with Wembanyama while also making plays on defense and on the boards.

Hartenstein finished the game with a 10-point and 13-rebound double-double, a huge uptick from the quiet Game 1. Isaiah Hartenstein gets honest about his role when playing against Victor Wembanyama As the starting center for the Thunder , Hartenstein is tasked with doing the dirty work in the paint. He loves getting offensive rebounds and making the underrated plays with his screens and connective passing.

While he is superb in those areas, Hartenstein was most present with his physicality in Game 2. Wembanyama had a tougher game this time around because he was dealing with Hartenstein's physicality. While the Spurs ' superstar still had a good performance, it was not as impactful as Game 1 when he fully dominated the game.