Oklahoma City Thunder forward Isaiah Hartenstein made his postseason mindset clear following the team’s 124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
“We’re not a team that wants anything given to us,” Hartenstein said, via Clemente Almanza. “We want to go out and conquer, go out and hunt.”
The Thunder’s victory sealed a 4-1 series win and secured their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting as Oklahoma City built a 65-32 halftime lead and never looked back.
Cason Wallace’s buzzer-beating three to end the first quarter capped a 26-9 opening period, setting the tone for the blowout.
Hartenstein emphasized that Oklahoma City’s defensive identity is rooted in collective accountability.
“Our defense is special because we don’t have any weak links,” he said. “Normally, a team can kinda go out and hunt one player. We don’t really have that.”
Chet Holmgren added 22 points and three blocks while Jalen Williams contributed 19 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Minnesota was held to 41.2 percent shooting and committed 21 turnovers, as the Thunder’s length and rotations smothered their rhythm.
Veteran guard Mike Conley went scoreless in 21 minutes, and the Wolves failed to generate consistent offense beyond Julius Randle’s 24 points.
With Oklahoma City preparing to face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, Hartenstein praised the team’s chemistry off the court as well.
“The greatest quality of this team is we do everything together,” he said. “If you’re playing a lot of minutes or not a lot of minutes… we’re very supportive of each other.”
Indiana clinched its spot in the Finals by defeating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday.
Pascal Siakam was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP after scoring 31 points in the closeout win.
The Thunder swept the regular-season series against Indiana, winning both matchups by a combined margin of 27 points.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals will take place Thursday night in Oklahoma City, with the Thunder holding homecourt advantage.
