Isaiah Hartenstein

Even all-time great teams struggle through occasional cold spells, and as the Oklahoma City Thunder worked to unthaw themselves after a 44-point first half, the night’s commentators reasoned that their defense “bought them a half” until their offense caught up. As true as that might’ve been, it certainly didn’t Isaiah Hartenstein from pickpocketing found money along the way. Channeling the superpower of invisibility as a help defender, Hartenstein introduces a two-sided sequence, starting with an invasion of Julius Randle’s dribble. With a step on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ fastbreak defense, and an unselfish teammate already looking in his direction, Hartenstein reaps the rewards with a rim-bending alley-oop flush, sending an early message in Game One. Hartenstein’s defense-to-offense display told the story of the Western Conference Finals series-opener, as Oklahoma City forced 19 turnovers — per usual — and turned those into 31 points. Individually, Hartenstein contributed 12 points (on six-of-eight shooting), five rebounds, and a steal in just 20 minutes on May 20, 2025.

Championship Year