Hartenstein’s Career Night Powers Thunder Over Kings
Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 132-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
Impressive Individual Performances
The 7-foot center was highly efficient, making 14 of 17 shots, along with contributing three assists and three blocks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 points, helping the Thunder (9-1) recover quickly from their only loss of the season suffered two nights earlier in Portland.
Cason Wallace scored 15 points, while Isaiah Joe added 13, as Oklahoma City secured their first win in the NBA Cup tournament.
Team Dynamics and Game Highlights
Oklahoma City led by 23 points and exploited the absence of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, outscoring the Kings 60-34 in the paint.
Sabonis missed his second straight game with sore ribs.
“Sabonis sat out his second consecutive game with sore ribs.”
Westbrook’s Return Against Former Team
Russell Westbrook, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Thunder and remains their all-time leading scorer, tallied 24 points and nine assists facing his former team.
Season Series Context
The Thunder defeated the Kings for the second time in 11 days, having previously won 107-101 in Oklahoma City in October.
In that earlier matchup, the Kings had Sabonis healthy while the Thunder played without Chet Holmgren. This game was the reverse, with Sabonis sidelined and Holmgren contributing 10 points and seven rebounds.
“Sabonis watched from the bench in street clothes while Holmgren had 10 points and seven rebounds.”
Summary: Isaiah Hartenstein's dominant performance and strategic team adjustments helped the Thunder comfortably defeat the Kings, showcasing their strength despite recent challenges.