Hartenstein's Career-High Leads Thunder to Victory Over Kings
Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 132-101 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
Player Performances
- Hartenstein, standing 7 feet tall, shot 14 of 17 from the field and contributed three assists and three blocks.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 points, helping the Thunder (9-1) rebound from their sole loss earlier this week in Portland.
- Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe scored 15 and 13 points respectively as the Thunder secured their first win in the NBA Cup tournament.
Game Dynamics and Key Absences
Oklahoma City dominated by 23 points and capitalized on the absence of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, outscoring the Kings 60-34 in the paint. Sabonis missed his second straight game due to sore ribs.
Notable Performance from Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Thunder, scored 24 points and handed out nine assists against his former team.
Previous Matchup Context
This win marked the Thunder’s second victory over the Kings in 11 days. In the earlier game, Sacramento played with Sabonis healthy while Oklahoma City was without Chet Holmgren. In contrast, this game saw Sabonis sidelined and Holmgren contribute 10 points and seven rebounds.
Summary: Isaiah Hartenstein’s standout performance and Sacramento’s key player absences fueled the Thunder’s convincing win over the Kings in their recent matchup.