The Oklahoma City Thunder have returned to winning ways with a feisty 122-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2. The only question is, at what cost? Head coach Mark Daigneault turned to his traditional big man strategy after Victor Wembanyama slammed the reigning champs in the series opener. And it is safe to say that Isaiah Hartenstein was a proper nuisance around the visiting team’s scorers last night. From outrageously pulling Stephon Castle’s hair to badly tripping and twisting Wembanyama’s body in the paint, the Thunder’s center was there to carry forward a mission already in practice.

However controversial this may sound, any NBA fan will agree that the phrases ‘OKC’ and ‘dirty plays’ are synonymous. Multiple coaches and players have tried to bring about reform by calling out the biased refereeing (in favor of OKC) as the first step toward a bigger solution. But instead, the league management has handed out hefty fines to those who have complained. Devin Booker is a recent notable example of this, as the Suns star was fined $35,000 for his sharp critique. Regardless of the narrative, the Thunder continue to play dirty. A Game 1 clip of Chet Holmgren stomping on Wemby’s foot left many speechless.

And while Holmgren faced no disciplinary action, Hartenstein was called upon to achieve the same objective. One such viral moment during Game 2 was when the big man blatantly pulled Castle’s hair, dropping him to the floor. Despite the referee having clear sight of the scene, the Thunder star wasn’t called for a foul. And adding insult to injury, Jared McCain drilled a three-pointer off the second chance. Now, two quarters ago, the Spurs youngster had posterized Hartenstein, who was at full stretch. So, this hair-pulling incident was most likely cheap payback for that. But that wasn’t his only controversial moment.

Hartenstein was glued to Wemby today. There are multiple clips of the OKC big man locking onto the Frenchman’s arm or shoulder from behind to restrict his movement under the rim. Unbelievably, the Spurs even had to use a challenge on one of those plays because the whistle wasn’t going their way. Hartenstein even flopped on one of them to extract a foul the other way!

But after receiving his fourth personal foul early in the third, Daigneault took him off, subbing in Jaylin Williams. OKC wanted their trump card to be there in the fourth frame when Wemby would target clutch plays. And that’s exactly how it panned out. Excluding all the dirty play and uncalled fouls, though, Wemby’s numbers actually fell in this game.

In Game 1, the Spurs phenom got 10 baskets in the paint and 13 free throws. But last night, with Hartenstein hovering over him, Wemby only made two baskets in the paint and got two free throws. Despite producing a game-high 17 rebounds, OKC managed to render Wemby ineffective when it mattered. He ended Game 2 with only a 21-point scoreline. On the other hand, Hartenstein managed a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. It’s important to remember that the big guy played only 12 minutes in the series opener, something the coach acknowledged after the game.

“[Hartenstein] is a big-time team guy, rather than assist and score a point, he understands the intricacies of the game, especially on defense,” Daigneault said. “He brings great physicality on both ends of the floor, especially on the glass. He’s a great rebounder, great screen setter. If you listed all the skills you wanted for a modern center, a true center, he checks every box. That’s why I love him. The other thing I love about him is that I played him 12 minutes. He doesn’t bat an eye and turns around tonight and plays a great game.” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though initially unsure of the controversial impact, later flipped his script.

NBC’s Zora Stephenson asked SGA to shed some light on Hartenstein’s impact on blocking Wemby. But the OKC talisman seemed to be in two minds, answering, “I’m not sure if it was good to be honest.” The host then asked him to expand on that thought. And Shai immediately responded, “It was alright. It was good.”

Well, SGA might’ve given Hartenstein a green signal on his performance, but the fanbase certainly isn’t approving the ‘intensity’ with which he played today. And some of that public anger is directed at the officials as well.

Fans are not ready to let Isaiah Hartenstein go easy after a night full of dirty plays

With the videos going viral, a certain section of fans demanded Isaiah Hartenstein’s suspension. They blasted the officials for letting multiple plays go unpunished. A furious fan wrote, “He’s definitely getting fined for this tomorrow. Should’ve been thrown out of this game. The NBA should suspend him for the next game, but they won’t.” So, because Hartenstein was rarely called for fouls, there was no need for a pool report or any external involvement by management after the game. It is highly unlikely that there will be further movement on this matter…

One fan, figuring out the reason behind the big man’s act, wrote, “You dunk on me, I pull your hair.” They considered it a form of revenge for Castle’s earlier play in the second quarter. But Hartenstein didn’t address Wemby or Castle after the game. Instead, the 7ft star spoke about coming into the game with a clear mindset. “When you play a team sport, you have to really put your ego aside, and I trust Mark’s decisions a lot,” he said. “He does a great job of communicating before, what kind of role you’re gonna be. Going into Game 1, I kinda knew what was going to be, then yesterday, he sat me down and told me just be ready.”

“Your number will be called more, and we will try to do something different,” Hartenstein continued. “Just coming out there and being more physical, making sure he doesn’t get easy rim finishes. He’s a great player, so he will get to that. Just making it as hard as possible.”

Another fan directly attacked the refs, sharing a screenshot of them watching the ugly act right in front of them, with no obstruction in their view. They wrote, “The refs are just watching OKC play dirty.”

The complaints about officiating in OKC games aren’t a new debate in the league, especially with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-drawing ability. And a fan perfectly summed up the frustration, writing, “It’s just foul what these guys pull… and equally as foul that they get away with it.”

Moreover, not all fans blamed Hartenstein for the act. One fan wrote, “Cut that mop off, man,” directing some attention toward Stephon Castle’s long hair instead. And to make matters worse, veteran analyst Skip Bayless joined that side of the debate, as he wrote, “Now NBC is crying that Hartenstein is playing too rough with poor Alien … while the Spurs get away with playing football on SGA.”

Now the question is whether the league reviews the play and takes disciplinary action. However, with Wembanyama getting away without a fine or suspension after his hostile elbow on Naz Reid in the semi-final series, it is unlikely that the OKC big man will face punishment.