Basketball: 14 years after Nowitzki: Hartenstein fetches NBA title

The fans of Oklahoma City already sang “We are the champions” before the team around Isaiah Hartenstein raised the trophy for the NBA championship in the confetti rain. 14 years after Dirk Nowitzki, the 27-year-old won the title in the best basketball league in the world as the second German basketball professional. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers at home 103: 91 (47:48) in the decisive and clear seventh game of the final series and thus won the necessary fourth victory. Nowitzki won the title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks.

It is the first championship for the Thunder since moving to Oklahoma City, as Seattle Supersonics had already won the franchise in 1979. The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, have to wait for the premiere victory. In the NBA it was only the 20th time that it took seven games to make a decision in a final series. Most recently, this was the case in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers around LeBron James won against the Golden State Warriors.

Gilgeous-Alexander gets MVP title

The best thrower in the intensive last duel of the final series was OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 29 points, plus 12 templates. Hartenstein booked seven points and had nine rebounds.

“It doesn’t feel real. So many days with doubts. We have invested so many hours of work. We deserve it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s great.” After the election, the Canadian was also elected as the most valuable player in the main round as the MVP of the final series.

Haliburton’s injury causes silence in the arena

For the Pacers there was the first big setback five minutes before the end of the first quarter when her leader Tyrese Haliburton went to the ground without the action of an opponent and immediately screamed with a face that was distorted with pain. At 18:16 for OKC, everything indicated a serious injury to the last violation of the right calf, which had already been bad. His father later confirmed an injury to the transferring broadcaster ABC at the Achilles tendon. In the arena it was very quiet for some time.

Nevertheless, the guests were at the front at 48:47 with one point. Both teams met less than half of their litters, OKC suffered primarily from the weak quota with three-point throws. Less than every fourth attempt was a hit. The pressure seemed to be influenced by both teams. After the break, in addition to the already strong defensive, the Thunder’s offensive, the 34:20 in the third quarter, motivated the fans to do more noise and ensured 13 points ahead of the last round. The Pacers are familiar with comebacks, but without Haliburton it did not succeed in the guests this time – and OKC celebrated.

Hartenstein key access for Oklahoma City

Hartenstein played a central role in his seventh NBA season on the way to the championship. Before the season, OKC invested a three-year contract worth $ 87 million in the $ 27, who was born in the USA and grew up in Quakenbrück. Hartenstein had a strong season at the New York Knicks, who made a fixture in a good team from the substitute he was at the previous stations.

For many experts, his skills as a passer and blocker for teammates as well as his strengths in rebounds and in defense are the key to the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder were the best team in the league this season – in the main round and now officially as a master.