Basketball: Hartenstein plays with Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA final

Isaiah Hartenstein stands in the NBA finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder and can win the title in the best basketball league in the world as the second German after Dirk Nowitzki. OKC won the fifth game in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves 124: 94 – and thus won the necessary fourth victory in the Western Conference finals.

In the NBA finals, either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks will wait. The Pacers run 3: 1 in this series. It is certain that OKC will host the first game on June 5.

“These guys do everything right. They are professionals with a great character,” said OKC coach Mark Daignult and then added when his players teased him at the interview and put numerous towels around his shoulder, jokingly: “And they are idiots.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was elected to the Western Conference Finals’ most valuable player. “That feels good. You dream of that as a child,” said the basketball player, who was already the most valuable player of the season. This time he recorded 34 points, plus 8 templates and 7 rebounds. He said to the fans: “Slide and prepare yourself.”

Timberwolves helpless – Hartenstein on Nowitzki’s traces

The Oklahoma City Thunder left no doubt about the return to the finals 13 years after the last participation. The 0: 3 at the start of the encounter was the only deficit, after the first quarter the hosts led with 26: 9. The lead over the offensive helpless Timberwolves grew up to 39 points in the course of the game. Minutes before the end of the encounter, the fans in Oklahoma City started to say goodbye to the guests with sneering chants from the playoffs.

Hartenstein contributed eight points, five rebounds and two blocks. The last German in front of him in the NBA finals was Maxi Kleber, who was defeated by the Dallas Mavericks against the Boston Celtics last season. Two years earlier, Daniel Theis had drawn the loser with the Celtics against the Golden State Warriors. So far, only Nowitzki, who triumphed with the Mavericks in 2011, was able to crown the champion.