Looking at the box score, the Oklahoma City Thunder had all the makings to get another road win over an Eastern Conference opponent. Instead, their 122-120 loss to the Miami Heat highlighted one area they desperately need help with from their injury report.
Rebounding. Usually dominating the possession battle, the Thunder were a jaw-dropping minus-34 in the field goal attempt tally. Somehow, the Heat put up a ridiculous 111 shot attempts in regulation. Impeccable ball security is half the reason for that. The other half is second-chance looks.
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The Heat grabbed 21 offensive rebounds. It’s the latest example of a disturbing trend for the Thunder. They’re getting beaten up on the boards in the last month. It coincides with Isaiah Hartenstein’s absence. He’s missed 11 straight games with a second soleus strain this season. Before that, he missed six games with the same injury.
Over the last week, Hartenstein has conducted some light jogging at OKC’s shootarounds. The Thunder desperately need him to return. Especially if Jalen Williams is sidelined from a thigh injury he sustained in Miami.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about Hartenstein’s recovery process. He’s praised his character in dealing with the nagging injury. You don’t want to risk things with soleus strains, so OKC is making sure he’s fully in the clear by the time he returns.
«He’s just a pro. Even if you look at his NBA career, he’s had a lot of different experiences that he’s had to endure. He’s had success. He’s had times he’s had to grind it out,» Daigneault said. «He applies all of those experiences to the circumstances he’s in at any given moment. He does a great job of being very present in whatever is going on, including right now.”
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We’ll see how Hartenstein feels. For now, the Thunder are treating him on a game-by-game basis. He sustained the injury on Dec. 28 in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s averaged 11.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and three assists in 24 games this season.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Mark Daigneault offers injury update on Isaiah Hartenstein
