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After missing two consecutive games due to illness, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe returned to the floor along with Thunder veteran Isaiah Hartenstein in Sunday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Joe led the bench with 16 points on 6-of-11 attempts, including 3-for-7 from deep, and four rebounds. Hartenstein finished with a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) in the starting lineup but also shared the floor with Joe and the second unit.
Joe and Hartenstein’s two-man game stood out during significant stretches, including the Thunder’s 39-point second quarter, during which Isaiah scored 11 of his 16 points.
“It’s been good. It’s been pretty easy the way that we play as a unit to integrate that onto the court,” Joe said. “Obviously, he creates action very well. We kind of go hand in hand with that. So, just continuing to improve on that has been good.”
For Joe, stringing together defensive stops triggered his and the Thunder’s offense throughout the second quarter.
“Getting stops first and foremost, being able to get stops, but then on the offensive end, I thought we played the right way,” Joe said. “Ball was moving, had energy. Everybody out there was going. And so, all five contributed in that run, but I think it started on the defensive end.”
After Jalen Williams connected from behind the arc, Hartenstein found Joe for a three to open the second quarter. Then, Hartenstein connected with Joe for a driving layup before finishing the second quarter by scoring five of his 14 points and dishing all three assists to Isaiah.
Williams finished with 24 points, including connecting on a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, eight assists, two blocks, and one steal in Sunday’s win.
Mark Daigneault’s take on Jalen Williams’ free-throw attempts
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised Jalen Williams for his work getting to the free-throw line more often. After going 6-for-7 from the free-throw line in a 123-114 win against the Jazz, Williams went 7-for-10 in the Thunder’s 121-115 loss against the Mavericks.
Daigneault gave his starting forward credit for his hard work, per The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi.
“For a young guy that’s ambitious, that is having success in other areas of his game, to have the foresight and maturity to be able to say, ‘You know what? This is an area that is going to allow me to be a better player and allow us to be a better team. I’m going to focus on it, even in the face of failure.’ I have respect for that,” Daigneault said.
The Thunder will conclude their two-game road trip against the Warriors on Wednesday.
