Isaiah Hartenstein’s subdued start to the season has come to an unfortunate pause. The OKC Thunder‘s backup big man recently made his debut for the team after recovering from a fracture suffered during the pre-season. And he managed to impress everyone in his first game, stacking up 13 points with 14 boards. However, in the very next game, which was tonight, the big man took a horrific injury, forcing him into the locker room.

In tonight’s match-up against the Sacramento Kings, Hartenstein picked up from where he left off from the last game, recording 10 points through the three quarters. However, the star endured a bleeding wound with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. During an offensive rebound battle against Kings’ big man Domantas Sabonis, Hartenstein had his right eyebrow clawed, leaving him bloodied.

Isaiah Hartenstein headed to the locker room immediately to get it patched up! Fortunately, the 7-foot star didn’t have any serious wound, as he returned to the game around the fourth-minute mark in the same quarter, bandaged. Nevertheless, everyone expected Sabonis to pay the price for the nasty injury. The officials even reviewed the play to inspect the chances for flagrant fouls.

Surprisingly, the Kings’s big man got away with it, as the refs charged him only with a loose ball foul. But, they discarded the bloody injury as an unintentional act. Most importantly, it left the home court crowd surprised as they unanimously exclaimed in shock.

Nevertheless, the injury break didn’t impact the German baller’s momentum, as he continued to exploit the paint, stopping Sabonis from making noise. The OKC star ended the game with 17 points and 10 boards, helping the team clinch the top seed again with a blowout 130-109 win.

Can Isaiah Hartenstein take care of the OKC rim until Chet Holmgren returns?

Undoubtedly, Isaiah Hartenstein is no match for the range Chet Holmgren brings to the OKC lineup. Holmgren is not only a few inches taller than Hartenstein but also has equipped his offense with shooting skills. However, with Holmgren out of action for multiple weeks, the German baller is nothing, but a blessing from heaven.

Up until Hart recovered from his fracture, 6’6 Jalen Williams took care of the rim protection. Even though he did a decent job racking up 25.4 ppg and 7.4 rebounds, he couldn’t compete against true bigs. Especially, Williams couldn’t battle it out against the twin towers of the Dallas Mavericks.

Fortunately, Williams didn’t have to challenge himself with the new role, as Hartenstein came out to save him after 5 games. In his first game as a Thunder player, the star came off the bench and impressed everyone. And, tonight, he received the maiden call-up to start the game for the team.

Moreover, the OKC coach Mark Daigneault, speaking of Hart’s impact on the side, revealed the difference he brings to the team in Chet’s absence. Mark said, “He’s one of the best rim protectors in the league. Not necessarily with the shot-blocking numbers of guys like Chet or the highest guys, but rim deterrence, rim field-goal percentage; he’s excellent… And it’s for reasons like that. He’s tall, he’s big, he’s physical, and he’s in the plays.” 

So, do you think Hartenstein will help the OKC float in the number 1 seed until Holmgren returns? Let us know in the comments.