The big splash that the Thunder made in free agency last offseason was signing Hartenstein away from the Knicks. He was coming off the best season of his career, averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 2023-24. He played 25 minutes a night, which was by far the highest mark of his career.

During the mundane of a December in the NBA, months before the Thunder would face the Pacers in the NBA Finals, Alex Caruso entered the locker room flossin’.

Caruso is now the only player in NBA history to record two 20-point games in the Finals after recording zero such regular-season games.