Pacers Stifle Thunder, Hartenstein Struggles as OKC Faces Elimination Game
Hardensenstein's Thunder suffers a crushing defeat; their strategy now necessitates a win-or-lose approach.
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Drucken Link kopieren The Oklahoma City Thunder blow their first chance to secure the NBA title: With a lackluster performance, German center Isaiah Hartenstein's team falters, forcing a deciding game.
Isaiah Hartenstein faltered under the pressure amid the Oklahoma City Thunder's stunning loss in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Once the league's standout team of the regular season, OKC collapsed in a dismal display against the Indiana Pacers, tying the series at 3-3, with a do-or-die game set for Monday (02:00 CEST/ProSieben MAXX).
Hartenstein faced intense scrutiny as he struggled to maintain composure and deliver the title for the Thunder. The German center failed to shine in Indianapolis before 17,274 spectators, with his team's performance plummeting for extended periods.
The series leader had seized the upper hand for the first time in the early hours of Tuesday, securing match point with a thrilling 120:109 victory (Match 5) to make it 3:2. Just as in the fifth game, Hartenstein opened the scoring for the night, but the visitors quickly fell behind due to a catastrophic start. A 10:2 run (4th minute) soon snowballed into a 17:26 deficit (9th minute).
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton dominated early on, overcoming injury doubts that had lingered until just before the game, while the Thunder endured a woeful first half, missing almost all of their three-point attempts, which allowed Indiana to grow an insurmountable lead. Hartenstein found it difficult to keep up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP of the regular season, who accounted for eight of the team's 21 turnovers, leading all scorers with 21 points.
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Hartenstein's struggles continued into the second half, as he scored just one basket in over five minutes, seeing Indiana maintain control of the game. The Thunder seemed paralyzed as they failed to convert several scoring opportunities, while the Pacers offered a patient, collaborative effort in response to every rally by the visitors.
As the game wore on, it became evident that the franchise, now in its first NBA Finals appearance since moving (2008), would not celebrate their first title on this night, trailing by 30 points (60-90) with three quarters to play. Hartenstein's contribution was limited to just 10 points and four rebounds.
Four Germans have previously fallen short in the NBA Finals: Detlef Schrempf (1996), Dirk Nowitzki (2006), Daniel Theis (2022), and most recently Maximilian Kleber (2024). Now, Hartenstein has the chance to reverse this trend with Oklahoma City and bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Germany.
Sources: ntv.de | ter/sid
Enrichment Data: Hartenstein demonstrated physical play, tangling with Tony Bradley of the Pacers when attempting an inbound pass, resulting in a technical foul against Bradley [3]. Hartenstein's future performance will be crucial, as the home crowd in Oklahoma City could significantly impact the Thunder's chances in the decisive Game 7 [2].
In the face of their defeat in Game 6, the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA title aspirations hang by a thread as German center Isaiah Hartenstein struggles to perform under pressure. Despite a strong regular season, Hartenstein's basketball skills were put to the test in the basketball playoffs, where he failed to stand out during their match against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.
