Isaiah Hartenstein calls Nuggets Round 2 series the Thunder's toughest playoff test
Count Isaiah Hartenstein as another Thunder player who recalls their Round 2 series win over the Denver Nuggets as their toughest test. It went the distance as OKC blew out Denver in a decisive Game 7. The back-and-forth classic saw the eventual NBA champion fall behind twice in the series before getting the win.
Hartenstein appeared on "Podcast P with Paul George" to talk about the Thunder's championship run. The 26-year-old played an important role as he was mostly a starter throughout the two months of high-intensity basketball. It was a group effort to limit Nikola Jokic that was mentally and physically taxing. All hands were on deck to limit him.
Hartenstein had his turns against Jokic to match up size with size. Chet Holmgren did the same when the three-time MVP winner tried to bully his way to the basket. It resulted in some pretty ugly shooting performances from Denver's best player. Finally, Alex Caruso matched up against him despite the size disadvantage in a curveball move that helped the Thunder win Game 7.
"I think the only series where we were kinda a little bit on the ropes was Denver. Just Jokic and the way they play. They've been there before," Hartenstein said. "That was the only series we were like, 'Even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance.' Every other series was like, 'If we do the right things, we're good.'"
It shouldn't be a shocker to see the Thunder feel that way. It certainly felt like it at the time. Even though it was a Round 2 series, everybody thought the eventual NBA champion would come out of that series as the winner. Battling last year's ghosts, OKC showed why this season was different compared to last.
The Thunder had to learn how to win close playoff battles. They did that against the Nuggets. It paid dividends a few weeks later when they went through a similar song and dance against the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals. This time, they were prepared for the moment and won the Larry O'Brien trophy because of it.
"The Nuggets were the only series we were like, 'Even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance.''Isaiah Hartenstein shares why Jokic & the Nuggets were OKC's biggest threat during their Finals run. pic.twitter.com/RzSB5zan2b
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