Isaiah Hartenstein Stats Tonight: How did Thunder center perform against Bucks in Emirates NBA Cup Final? (Dec. 17) 

OKC Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein finished with a double-double in their 97-81 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their Emirates NBA Cup Final on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The German-American finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, to go along with 11 rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes of play.

It, however, was not enough to help his team get the better of the Bucks in the finale of this year’s edition of the NBA’s tournament-within-a-tournament. Isaiah Hartenstein's stats against the Milwaukee Bucks:

Isaiah Hartenstein's stats against the Milwaukee Bucks:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FT	+/-
Isaiah Hartenstein	16	12	2	1	0	0	6-11	0-0	4-4	-17

The Bucks went on a tear on both ends in the third quarter, turning a narrow 51-50 lead at halftime to a 13-point cushion, 77-64, heading into the fourth and final canto.

They never looked back from there, continuing with their spirited play en route to the NBA Cup-clinching victory. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a triple double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Bucks in becoming the second champion in the NBA In-Season Tournament, which was set up last year to give an added dimension to the NBA's regular season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top-scored for the Thunder with 21 points, with Jalen Williams adding 18.

Isaiah Hartenstein believes he is in a good situation in OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein said it was tough leaving New York following a brilliant season with the Knicks last campaign. He, however, believes that now with the OKC Thunder, he is in a good situation to further grow his game. The seven-year NBA veteran signed a three-year, $87-million contract with the Thunder in the offseason.

But apart from the lucrative deal, the opportunity to expand his game with a fast-rising ball club like OKC was simply hard to pass up on. He shared this earlier this season as he prepared for his first year in OKC, saying (via CBS Sports):

“The style of play [here in OKC], I think, really fits me. They have a lot of guys who cut [who I can pass the ball to]. I felt like I could really expand my game here… So it’s really exciting for me, and then just defensively, I think I can still bring a lot to the team. I mean, I feel like they were really good last year, but then bringing [Alex] Caruso and myself in, I think we hope we’ll take another step in that.”

Isaiah Hartenstein missed the early part of the Thunder’s season because of a hand injury. But since returning he has been a workhorse, averaging a double-double of 12.5 points and 12.3 rebounds, to go along with 4.1 assists and 1.2 blocks in 10 games so far. His steady impressive play has cushioned the loss of Chet Holmgren to a hip injury.