Isaiah Hartenstein gets 100% real about what makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander special
01/27/2025 03:53 AM
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounded from their Thursday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 118-108 on Sunday, January 26. The game also marked Isaiah Hartenstein's return to the court after missing the Thunder's previous five matchups.
The Thunder's MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, powered the team with an impressive 35-point outing, adding five rebounds and one assist to his stat line.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s thoughts on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
“We have an MVP player playing great defense night in, night out. He leads the league in blocks from a guard. He makes the hustle plays. He’s a team guy,” said Hartenstein when talking about Gilgeous-Alexander after the game.
Thunder star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.1 points, 6.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 52.8% from the field. His elevated impact on winning has solidified him as a true game-changer this season.
A center has claimed the NBA MVP award for four straight seasons, with Jokic winning three times and Joel Embiid once. Adding Antetokounmpo’s back-to-back wins before that, a frontcourt player has earned the honor every year since 2019.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, achieving this feat during the 2024-25 season would be even more remarkable as a guard. He has already claimed both Western Conference Player of the Month honors this season, earning the award for October and November combined, as well as for December.
The Thunder dismantling the Trailblazers
Jalen Williams also contributed 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, while Isaiah Joe added 16 points, four rebounds, and one assist to help the Western Conference leaders bounce back from their recent defeat.
“We have an All-Star in Dub, who is to me probably one of the most underrated defenders in the league,” Isaiah Hartenstein added when talking about Jalen Williams.
In his return, Hartenstein put up 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out six assists in 33 minutes of action.
The 26-year-old is averaging at 11.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.1 assist and 2.2 stocks per game across 24 matches for the side in the current season.
Hartenstein notched his 16th double-double in 25 games this season as the Thunder shot 47.2% from the field and 33.3% (10-of-30) from beyond the arc.
Deni Avdija delivered an impressive performance with 28 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds for Portland. The team made a push in the final period, narrowing the gap to 93-88 after Anfernee Simons’ free throws. However, the Thunder responded with a banked three-pointer from Williams to extend the lead to 96-88, followed by a three-pointer from Alex Caruso that stretched the score to 105-90.
15 consecutive losses against the Thunder
Portland connected on 45% of their three-point attempts (18-of-40) but was dominated in the paint, getting outscored 52-22. The Trailblazers have now lost 15 consecutive games to Oklahoma City, including all three matchups this season.
Rookie center Donovan Clingan, who has dealt with injuries throughout the season, made his return Friday night in a win over the Charlotte Hornets , contributing 13 rebounds and four blocks.
The Thunder leads the NBA in steals for the second consecutive season, a feat coach Mark Daigneault attributes to the defensive skill of their top players rather than his coaching. “At our level, it's the quality of defensive personnel,” Daigneault explained.
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