The post Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein’s ‘desperation’ take before Game 6 vs Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints.
INDIANAPOLIS — While Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein knows the Indiana Pacers will be fighting to keep their season alive in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, he can almost taste the champagne and smell the cigar smoke. The champagne bottles will be on ice, accompanied by boxes of cigars at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, awaiting the Thunder to clinch their first championship in franchise history. Hartenstein’s traveled a long road to reach this point.
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It’s a journey Hartenstein shares with many of his Thunder teammates in his first season with Oklahoma City. Hartenstein believes the Thunder, with a 3-2 lead in the Finals’ best-of-7, have to play with a level of desperation that surpasses the Pacers’ approach in Game 6.
“It’s the first to four. So, we’re not going to come in acting like everything is sealed, everything’s done,” Hartenstein said. “They’re gonna come out with desperation. They’re a great team, and we’re gonna come out with the same, probably even more, desperation. That’s where we’re at,” Hartenstein said. “We’re not looking too far ahead. Mark does a great job of not focusing too much on the outside. Not focusing too much on if we win one game, we’re going to win a championship.
“We’re really focused on let’s play this Game 6. Let’s go through the ups and downs through the Game 6, but then also, just establish it early, and come out with an emphasis,” Hartenstein concluded.
The notion that the Larry O’Brien trophy and everything that comes with it — commemorative Thunder championship t-shirts, cigars, and champagne will be in the building at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse — should yield a desperate approach. Couple that with the possibility of hosting a Game 7, where anything can happen, back in Oklahoma City, and you’d understand why it’s imperative for the Thunder to close out the Pacers on the road in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder’s battle adversity, is paying off
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Before Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein inked a three-year, $87 million deal, he was fighting to stay in the NBA. It’s a background many of his teammates can relate to, which Hartenstein addressed before practice for Game 6.
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“We’ve all been through certain obstacles in our careers. I think we’re very mature for our ages because we’ve been through that adversity,” Hartenstein said. “I also think Sam [Presti] and Mark [Daigneault] did a great job of just establishing a culture where you can thrive in situations.”
Now, the Thunder are on the cusp of capturing their first championship in franchise history.
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