Isaiah Hartenstein Rumors

Thunder Notes: SGA, Dort, Hartenstein, Daigneault

November 12th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had two of the league’s most prestigious trophies in his possession by the time the Thunder reached the NBA Finals, but he kept them out of sight so they wouldn’t distract from the ultimate goal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The award he got for being named Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals stayed hidden in the back of his locker until the playoffs ended, while his regular season MVP trophy was in an even more remote spot.

“In its case, in the basement,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All the joy and everything that comes with that would’ve been put on hold had we not won the championship, so that’d be my main goal. I had to put the fun aside for a bit, and then at the end, it was a little bit sweeter.”

SGA and his team appear to be on the way to collecting more hardware next spring and possibly for years to come. They’re off to an 11-1 start without their best lineup together, as All-Star wing Jalen Williams is still recovering from wrist surgery and other players have been in and out of the lineup during the first three weeks of the season.

As MacMahon explains, they’ve been able to keep winning due to a sense of professionalism and a commitment to hard work that permeate the organization, with Gilgeous-Alexander at the center of it.

“He still looks like he wants to make the team. That’s just his approach,” Luguentz Dort said. “That’s how he competes. He’s always been like that. The fact that he’s the leader of our team and still approaching it that way in Year 8 now, it just sets the tone for the rest of us. It’s like, man, we got to match that energy.”

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While the Thunder are favored to repeat as champions this season, ownership may have to be willing to spend into the second apron to build a dynasty capable of winning several titles, MacMahon adds. The first test will come next offseason when decisions have to be made on team options for Dort ($18.2MM) and Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5MM). “There’s certain (times) where you think, ‘I could never imagine being somewhere else,’ but for me, it’s right now,” Hartenstein said. “How can I be focused on the present moment? Then I think everything will figure itself out when it’s done. And I think with the second apron, winning always helps. So, if we just keep winning, I think we can keep the team together.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of Athlon Sports, Gilgeous-Alexander said head coach Mark Daigneault deserves more credit for his role in making the team successful. “The biggest thing is Coach does a really good job of setting the tone,” he said. “The group is a certain way, obviously, and the characters in the room. But Coach does a really good job of holding every guy in the room, including myself, to the highest standard and not letting it slip, no matter what.”
Daigneault tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Thunder adjusted their normal offseason schedule to give players more time to savor the accomplishment of winning a title. “Normally guys are coming into Oklahoma City in early September, and we pushed that back — for the guys that played a lot,” he said. “So we tried to extend the summer as much as we could, and not feel this insecurity to turn the page too fast, so that they could fully enjoy and decompress from last season. And then we just tried to present it as an end point. Last season ended. This season starts. That was the 2025 championship. No one’s taking it away from us. It’s ours for the rest of our lives, but it’s also over.”

Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Edwards, Hardy, Markkanen

November 8th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Hartenstein erupted for a 33-point night in the Thunder‘s win over Sacramento on Friday. Along with his career high in points, Hartenstein grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots.

“He was on one today,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “Hart is a great player. We were able to find him, and he had a great game. He made it very easy for us.”

Hartenstein is averaging a double-double for the banged-up Thunder, with 12.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the early going this season.

“He’s played great as time has gone on here,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s getting better and better with his teammates here inside the system. He was obviously highly impactful at the beginning, but he’s only gotten better, especially on the offensive side of the floor.”

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In his second game back from missing four due to a right hamstring strain, Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards poured in 37 points in a 40-point romp over Utah. “He’s our leading light, and he’s got to be aggressive, and he’s got to be himself,” head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s what we need. And I thought he played quick and clean. Thought we all did to start the game, and it was just really good, really fun to watch.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy has been very vocal this season and that’s by design, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s all intentional,” Hardy said. “There is a real process right now of trying to have all of our players, especially our young players, understand that every time you take the court, you’re trying to win.” Hardy’s team is currently holds a 3-6 record. “I feel like I need to give the team the urgency every single night to not let moments pass them by, to not take their minutes for granted, to not take this moment in their career for granted — because nothing’s guaranteed,” he said.
Lauri Markkanen was held to 12 points in 21 minutes on Friday but the Jazz forward is still averaging 28.3 points per game, which would easily be a career best. “He can truly play any style,” Hardy told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “He can play with anybody there. You could name any All-Star player, and I would say Lauri could play with them. Because he doesn’t dribble too much, because he’s not really an iso player, because he’s not a pick-and-roll ball handler who needs X number of screens a night. It’s nice having somebody who’s that caliber player who doesn’t necessarily dictate your style. There are certain players that dictate the style you kind of have to play. Lauri gives us a lot of flexibility. It’s a real luxury as a coach and it would appear that that would be a luxury from a team-building standpoint.”

Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder Lead Germany’s EuroBasket Roster

August 23rd, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Germany has finalized its 12-man roster for EuroBasket, highlighted by Magic star Franz Wagner and new Kings guard Dennis Schröder, writes Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews.

The Germans also feature Wagner’s Orlando teammate, Tristan Da Silva, and a couple of former NBA big men in Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga. Making up the rest of the roster are Oscar Da Silva, Justus Hollatz, Leon Kratzer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann.

Germany has several significant absences due to injuries. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein will miss the tournament because of an Achilles tendon issue, while Magic big man Moritz Wagner continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered in December.

In addition, Real Madrid refused to sign a release for guard David Kramer to participate after he suffered a muscle injury, according to Eurohoops. Kramer averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during the EuroBasket Qualifiers.

“This is a bitter blow for us,” German coach Alex Mumbru said. “David was planned to be an important part of our team. We now have to compensate for his absence as best we can. Of course, I’m also very sorry for him personally; David would have deserved to be there.”

The Germans have become one of international basketball’s top teams in recent years, winning a gold medal in the 2023 World Cup. Four years ago, they finished third in EuroBasket, which they hosted, and they came in fourth at the 2024 Olympics.

Schröder has been a member of the senior national team since 2014 and was named to the All-Star Five Team at last year’s Olympics. Wagner was a second-team all-tournament choice at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

Germany has been placed in Group B for EuroBasket, along with Lithuania, Great Britain, Sweden, Montenegro and Finland. Group play will start Wednesday, and all games will be held in Tampere, Finland.

Thunder Notes: Ring Night, Durant, Hartenstein, Sorber

August 9th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder fans shouldn’t get distracted by the presence of Kevin Durant at their ring night celebration, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. According to a Friday report, Durant’s first game with the Rockets will kick off the new NBA season on October 21 at Oklahoma City, which is when the home team will be honored for capturing the city’s first-ever championship.

Durant has a long and complicated history with OKC fans. He was their first hero when the team moved from Seattle in 2008 and led them to the NBA Finals in 2012. However, a rift was created when he left for Golden State as a free agent four years later and he usually gets loudly booed during visits to Oklahoma City.

Stiles encourages fans to look past their feud with Durant for at least one night and savor the ring presentations and the raising of the championship banner. Stiles doesn’t expect forgiveness, but he said the crowd should celebrate the accomplishments of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates, who were able to accomplish something for the franchise that Durant never did.

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After winning 68 games and bringing home the championship, there are reasons to believe OKC will be even better next season, Stiles suggests in a separate story. Fourteen players return from the title team, with first-round pick Thomas Sorber replacing Dillon Jones on the 15-man roster. The team figures to benefit from internal development with so many young players, plus 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic will be active after missing all of last season due to injury. In addition, several contenders have taken a step back so the Thunder’s path through the regular season might be easier.
A $28.5MM team option on center Isaiah Hartenstein will be the Thunder’s major decision for next summer, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman states in a mailbag column. While it’s possible that Hartenstein could agree to a new deal with a smaller average annual value, Martinez notes that re-signing him may mean parting with Luguentz Dort ($17.7MM) and Kenrich Williams ($7.2MM), who will also be on team options. Martinez views Hartenstein as the most likely of the three to be let go because his salary is so large.
The Thunder can afford to be patient with Sorber if he’s not fully ready in time for training camp, Martinez adds in the same piece. The 19-year-old big man underwent surgery in February for a turf toe injury and missed all of Summer League, even though he was able to work out individually during practices. There has been no official word on Sorber’s status, and he said at a post-draft press conference that he was “just taking it day-by-day.”

Look Ahead At Potential 2026 Free Agents

August 8th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Free agency is not the headline event it once was in the NBA, as a large portion of the top players on the market tend to extend, like Luka Doncic did last weekend with the Lakers, or move in trades rather than signing with new teams. However, there are still likely to be talented players available and ready to contribute to new situations, as Zach Harper details for The Athletic.

Teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Heat have made an effort to keep their flexibility for next year, write Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton for ESPN. However, those teams are also expected to try to maintain cap space for 2027, a summer in which multiple MVPs – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic – could potentially reach the market, though of course neither is guaranteed to be available.

The Celtics will also likely look to retool their roster next summer after trading away key contributors in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis for salary cap relief, as they seek to rebuild their roster into a contender around Tatum once he has recovered from his Achilles tear.

Trae Young, with a $48.9MM player option for the 2026/27 season, has the potential to be one of the top names on the board, and while Harper expresses confidence that an extension with the Hawks will get done, there have been rumors that it’s far from a certainty, and that next season could serve as an evaluation period for the Hawks’ core under a new head of basketball operations.

Other high-end veterans with player options for ’26/27 include James Harden (Clippers), Zach LaVine (Kings), Draymond Green (Warriors), Austin Reaves (Lakers), Andrew Wiggins (Heat), Fred VanVleet (Rockets), and Bradley Beal (Clippers). Harper considers Harden, Green, and Reaves very likely to remain with their current teams, and VanVleet also relatively likely to stay, though the Rockets have some level of flexibility in regard to the future of their roster.

Then there are the unrestricted free agents. As of this moment, LeBron James (Lakers) and Kevin Durant (Rockets) represent the cream of the crop, but there are other talented players such as Porzingis (Hawks), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Coby White (Bulls), and others who are sure to garner suitors.

For what it’s worth, Durant has been widely expected to extend with Houston, but James is ineligible to be extended prior to free agency and White’s salary is so modest relative to his value that he’s considered likely to wait until he can get a bigger payday on the free agent market.

One interesting inflection point will be players on team options, such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort on the Thunder, and Bogdan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez on the Clippers. The Thunder, particularly, could have some tough decisions to make on their role players soon as lucrative extensions take effect for stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.

Northwest Notes: Caruso, Hartenstein, Nuggets, Hansen

July 28th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Alex Caruso‘s regular season impact for the Thunder was fairly modest, as he made just 54 appearances while ranking just ninth on the team in minutes per game (19.3). That turned out to be by design — Caruso appeared in all 23 games during the team’s title run and ranked fifth on the team in MPG (24.4), writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).

As Mussatto details, Caruso didn’t score 20 points a single time during the regular season but recorded three such games in the playoffs. The 31-year-old significantly boosted his three-point percentage as well, going from 35.3% during the season to 41.1% in the playoffs.

Defense and outside shooting were the main weaknesses of Josh Giddey, the player Oklahoma City traded to acquire Caruso, who excelled in both of those areas during the postseason. In Mussatto’s view, Caruso was the Thunder’s third-most important player in the playoffs (behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams), which is why he earned an A-plus for his 2024/25 performance.

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In another story for The Oklahoman, Mussatto commends the fit and play of center Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder‘s big free agent addition last summer, giving him a grade of A-minus. Unlike Caruso, Hartenstein had an excellent regular season but didn’t have the same level of impact during the playoffs. Still, the 27-year-old was vitally important in the second-round matchup against Denver, Mussatto notes, and provided the size and rebounding the team lacked in 2023/24.
The Nuggets have had a busy offseason, trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to acquire Cameron Johnson (and roster-building flexibility); trading Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas; and adding Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. Longtime analyst and former NBA star Charles Barkley is a fan of the moves they made, he told Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “I think (the Nuggets) and the Houston Rockets have probably had the best summers (in the NBA),” Barkley said. “And (the Nuggets), they’ve got the best player in the world (in Nikola Jokic). They just needed some more depth. They kind of broke the team up after they won the first championship (2023), and that’s really unfortunate. (They’ve) still got the best player. You want to give them as many opportunities as possible. But I thought they had a great summer.”
The Chinese Basketball Association recently announced that Trail Blazers first-round pick Yang Hansen will miss the 2025 Asia Cup in order to prepare for his rookie season, tweets Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com. Hansen received permission from the Chinese national team to skip the event due to scheduling conflicts with Blazers mini-camps in August. He will instead stay in Portland this offseason.

Thunder Notes: Williams, Offensive Flow, Hartenstein

June 17th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder need just one more win to claim the NBA title, thanks to Jalen Williams. The third-year forward poured in 40 points in Game 5 as Oklahoma City took a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers.

“He was really gutsy tonight,” MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during the post-game press conference, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “He stepped into big plays. Felt like every time we needed a shot, he made it. He wasn’t afraid. He was fearless tonight.”

Williams became the third-youngest player to score at least 40 points in an NBA Finals game, trailing only Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook.

“It’s something more that I’ll look back on later than worry about what kind statement it makes,” he said. “I think the only statement we have right now is we’re up 3-2 and we have to still go earn another win.”

Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason that could be worth a projected $246MM over five years. The maximum value could increase to a projected $296MM if Williams makes an All-NBA team again in 2026 after earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team this season.

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Williams’ teammates are thrilled for his success. Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic examines how the Thunder forward reached this point. “He’s one of those guys that you want to see succeed, especially when you know him personally,” Chet Holmgren said. “You want to root for him. You want him to do good just because he shows up every single day, does the right things. He’s a good guy off the court, treats everybody well. He’s always respectful. He works really hard. You want to see it pay off for him. … We don’t get here without him playing as good as he’s playing. So, we’ve got to make sure he gets his credit, gets his flowers.”
While the Thunder shot just 42.6 percent from the field in Game 5, they made 14 of 32 three-point attempts and had 24 assists, compared to 11 turnovers. “It was for sure better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the team’s offensive flow, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “Ball moved a little bit more. We were more aggressive. We were in the paint making decisions. Yeah, we were good.”
Their top free agent from last offseason, Isaiah Hartenstein, played a pivotal role with his decision-making, especially in the first half. Hartenstein posted modest stats — four points, eight rebounds (six of them offensive), four assists, one block and one steal in 21 minutes — but his impact was much greater than those raw numbers, according to The Athetic’s Kelly Iko. “I think it’s big,” Hartenstein said. “I think I provide different things, and I can also change my role, that’s the biggest thing. I can adapt. This series has been less scoring and trying to get guys open. Just me being ego-less in that sense helps the team a lot.”

Thunder Notes: Jaylin Williams, SGA, Hartenstein, Defense

June 16th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they have the reigning MVP, everyone is considered to be equal in the Thunder‘s locker room, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Along with the team’s obvious talent level, that philosophy of valuing input from the entire roster has helped Oklahoma City weather a long season and climb to within two wins of a championship.

“Being able to watch it from the side, I get a different view,” said backup center Jaylin Williams, who has only made one brief appearance in the NBA Finals. “Trying to kind of echo what we need to do, echo the plan. Sometimes it’s different hearing it from a player that’s going through battle with you than hearing it from a coach, so I’m trying to talk to the guys. We’ve always had this saying where if you feel like there’s something that you want to say to a teammate, like, nobody’s bigger than the program. So, you just say it to each other.”

The concept of “chemistry” is frequently talked about in NBA circles, but Hollinger notes that it’s hard to obtain. However, it appears to come easy for Thunder players, who seem to genuinely like each other and are always having fun, even on the NBA’s biggest stage. Good-natured trash talk is constant in the locker room, and teammates regularly surround whoever is doing a post-game interview on the court and finish it up by barking.

“They have a winning mindset outside of basketball, I’ll put it like that,” Kenrich Williams said. “When we have a tough loss, or performance-wise, somebody doesn’t play well, when you walk in the building, practice or arena, everybody is very positive. Other places … there are times where you can just feel the weight. And that starts with the front office bringing in great workers, great staff, whether that’s the medical and training staff, the weight room guys, the chefs. There’s all positive energy when you walk in the building.”

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become the league’s best scorer by mastering mid-range shots that many players ignore, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell, who was with the Clippers when they drafted Gilgeous-Alexander, worked with him early in his career and encouraged him to develop that part of his game. “I know that’s the shot that in today’s game that they’re giving up. They’re giving you the 15-foot pull-up shot,” Cassell said. “So I just told him from day one, if this is the shot they’re giving, let’s be exceptional at this shot. Let’s be the only player in the league that can be exceptional at this shot since they’re giving it to you. The analytic guys say it’s a bad shot, but it ain’t a bad shot for him. We worked on the same stuff for days. If anything go wrong, this is your bread and butter.”
After starting Cason Wallace in the first three games of the Finals, coach Mark Daigneault went with a bigger approach in Game 4 and replaced him with Isaiah Hartenstein. “It was a point to get Hart more minutes tonight. I thought he’s been helpful in his minutes,” Daigneault said, per Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire. “But in terms of the lineup, I mean, we go into every game trying to figure out the formula to win that game. That’s what we thought was best to win Game 4 tonight.”
Eric Nehm and Fred Katz of the Athletic analyze Oklahoma City’s defense and explain why they’re willing to accept a few fouls to maintain their aggressive approach.

Thunder Notes: Caruso, Wiggins, Ownership, Depth, Defensive Strategy

June 10th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Alex Caruso played 19.3 minutes per game during the regular season but is averaging 23 minutes during the postseason. Caruso, who averaged 28.7 minutes last season with Chicago, said the reduced playing time over the course of the year was by design. The Thunder wanted to keep the hard-nosed guard fresh for a deep playoff run.

“I just only have one gear. I don’t know how to play at 75 percent. Some of that was keeping me out of my own way, out of harm’s way. I don’t do a good job of that on my own,” Caruso said, per Ryan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. “Yeah, some of that, it was difficult just because I am such a competitive guy. If I’m only playing 15 to 20 minutes, if it’s one of those nights where it’s 15, we’re not playing great, like my instinct is to, all right, coach, leave me in there, let me fix it, let me be the one to help us get out of it.”

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Aaron Wiggins erupted for 18 points in 21 minutes in Game 2 after playing just nine minutes in Game 1. That made a strong impression on one of his All Star teammates. “It’s the hardest job in the league, I feel like. I think he’s underrated … It’s really hard to stay engaged and stay ready. For him to be able to do that on the biggest stage he’s ever played on and have a really good game, very special player. I always keep that in mind. Yeah, it’s a really tough job. He does it very well,” Jalen Williams said, per Stiles.
Some investors may be regretting their decision to not grab a stake in the franchise. According to Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, shares of the team held by the estate of fracking baron Aubrey McClendon, who died in 2016, were put up for sale in 2019. McClendon was part of Clay Bennett‘s group that paid $350MM for Seattle SuperSonics in 2006. Those shares, approximately 20 percent of the franchise, remained on the market for a while before ultimately purchased by the current majority stakeholders.
The Thunder were a plus-11 in Game 2 during the 12 minutes that MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench, a showcase of their depth, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater notes. The five-man unit of Caruso (who had 20 points), Williams, Wiggins, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein was particularly potent. “We’ve played that lineup a lot through the playoffs,” Caruso said. “(Head coach) Mark (Daigneault) went back to it because we’ve had a lot of success. Me and Cason do a good job of mixing it up with whoever is the lead guard. Dub has great hands. We have a versatility in the lineup. It lets Wigs get a little bit loose, too.”
In Game 2, Oklahoma City found success via a combination of ball screen location, aggression and overall defensive alignment, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. He breaks down OKC’s defensive strategy that slowed the Pacers’ high-octane attack.

Thunder Notes: SGA, Caruso, Williams, Holmgren, Game 2 Adjustments

June 9th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a record for the most combined points by a player in his first two NBA Finals games as the Thunder defeated Indiana to even their series at 1-1, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After taking 30 shots to reach 38 points in Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander was more efficient on Sunday, going 11-of-21 from the field and 11-of-12 from the foul line en route to a 34-point performance.

MacMahon notes that SGA also established a franchise record with his 12th 30-point game of this year’s playoffs, topping the mark set by Kevin Durant in 2014.

“I’m being myself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I don’t think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far.”

The reigning MVP and the league’s best regular season team both looked more in character in Game 2 than they did while letting a 15-point fourth quarter lead slip away in the opener. Gilgeous-Alexander resumed his normal role as a facilitator as well as a scorer, handing out eight assists after having just three in Game 1. His assists went to seven different teammates, and six of them resulted in made three-pointers.

“He’s just getting better and better, which is very impressive,” Jalen Williams said. “Obviously, he’s the MVP of the league. For him to continue to get better is good. He just trusts us to make plays. I think when your best player is out there and he trusts you to make a play, it just gives you more confidence. He understands that. I think that’s one of the roles he’s gotten really good at and grown at, and it just makes our team better.”

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Defensive sparkplug Alex Caruso delivered 20 points off the bench to help keep the game out of reach, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. It was a scoring mark he didn’t achieve in any game during the regular season, and it was more than any Pacers player was able to muster. “He’s one of those guys who you know is going to bring it every single night,” Chet Holmgren said. “Whether he’s 22 or 30, doesn’t matter. He’s going to bring it. I feel like, as a collective, we really feed off of that. Then also his ability to kind of process things that are happening out there and relay it and communicate it to everybody else is really important for us.”
After subpar showings in the series opener, Williams and Holmgren delivered more typical outings in Game 2, notes Will Guillory of The Athletic. Williams contributed 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Holmgren added 15 points and six rebounds. Aaron Wiggins chipped in 18 points off the bench as the Thunder reserves outscored the Pacers’ reserves, 48-34.
Coach Mark Daigneault stuck with his smaller starting lineup from Game 1 — with Cason Wallace replacing Isaiah Hartenstein — but he made a few adjustments on Sunday, observes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Holmgren and Hartenstein saw time together, allowing Oklahoma City to be more competitive on the boards, and rookie guard Ajay Mitchell was barely used.