Three takeaways from the OKC Thunder’s win over the Trail Blazers

After losing to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in which their offense faltered, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back with a 109-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

The Thunder got a big boost off the bench with the debut of Isaiah Hartenstein, who missed the rest of the regular season with a broken hand. Jalen Williams has been the team’s only center this stretch since Chet Holmgren went out, but he’s getting some help there now.

Three-point shooting has remained a struggle for Oklahoma City over the past two games (9 of 31 against Portland), but the team has put in a strong defensive effort and found success from the free throw line.

The Thunder now improved to a 12–4 record and second place in the Western Conference.

Here are three takeaways from the 10-point win:

“Isaiah fucking Hartenstein,” were the words Gilgeous-Alexander introduced the new Thunder member at the postgame press conference.

Hartenstein may have tried to play it down, but his debut was worthy of the hype Gilgeous-Alexander generated.

In 29 minutes off the bench, Hartenstein had 13 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. He became the rebounding spark Oklahoma City needed after Holmgren’s injury, grabbing five offensive rebounds.

Hartenstein’s rebounding and blocked shot statistics were the highest in Thunder debut history.

In every facet of the game, Hartenstein brought something to Oklahoma City. Defense, shot blocking, rebounds, goals and even assists. He’s more of a traditional center than Holmgren – and obviously Williams – but his skill set is exactly what he was missing last season.

Now that Hartenstein has arrived, time without Holmgren will become much more manageable.

Williams’ days of constantly playing center appear to be behind him, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to excel in that role against the Trail Blazers.

Williams dropped 30 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. He’s done a little bit of everything and has only gotten better since taking over the starting center spot.

Based on his performance over the last couple of weeks, Williams looks like he could make the All-Star Game. The forward took a huge leap and added responsibility in his third season, helping the Thunder overcome obstacles and remain in championship contention.

Hartenstein’s debut could mean Williams returns to power forward for most games, but given how exceptional he has been at center, coach Mark Daigneault will likely keep him there in certain lineups.

Since the start of the regular season, Alex Caruso has struggled to find rhythm on offense. He was the elite defender he was touted to be, but shot 40% from beyond the arc last season – shooting just 29% from the field and 19% from three through 12.

There was a noticeable shift Wednesday night. In 15 minutes, Caruso scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He only attempted two 3-pointers, converting one of them, but it was still an encouraging offensive showing.

Caruso’s defense allowed him to play a key role off the bench for Oklahoma City, but his lack of efficiency limited his effectiveness on the court. Ideally, this would be the start for him to get back on track offensively and give the Thunder a boost in scoring.

However, Caruso left the game early due to a re-injury to his right hip after a hard fall. He did not return for the rest of the evening and his status would not be updated pending injury report.

Depending on how long Caruso is out, it could hurt his potential to find his chance again. But with his offensive showing against the Trail Blazers, he’s definitely closer to the mark than before.

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