Hartenstein's Career-High Leads Thunder Over Kings
Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-best 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 132-101 victory against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
Strong Performance from Thunder Players
- Hartenstein, standing 7 feet tall, shot 14 of 17 from the field, adding three assists and three blocks.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 30 points, helping the Thunder improve to a 9-1 record after rebounding from their only loss of the season in Portland.
- Cason Wallace scored 15 points, and Isaiah Joe added 13 points in Oklahoma City's first win of the NBA Cup tournament.
Game Dynamics and Key Absences
The Thunder led by 23 points and dominated the paint with a 60-34 advantage. This was aided by the absence of Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis, who missed his second consecutive game due to sore ribs.
“Sabonis sat out his second consecutive game with sore ribs.”
Russell Westbrook, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer who played his first nine NBA seasons with the Thunder, scored 24 points and handed out nine assists while facing his former team.
Recent Matchup Context
This victory marked the Thunder's second win over the Kings in 11 days, following a 107-101 win in Oklahoma City earlier in October.
- In the previous game, Sabonis was active while Chet Holmgren was sidelined.
- This time, the roles reversed: Sabonis sat out in street clothes, and Holmgren contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.
“It was a complete reverse this time. Sabonis watched from the bench in street clothes while Holmgren had 10 points and seven rebounds.”
Author's summary: Isaiah Hartenstein’s dominant breakout and key contributions from the Thunder fueled a decisive win over the Kings, capitalizing on Sacramento’s key absence.