OKC Thunder See Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso Leave Knicks Game Early

The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off an impressive 103-100 win on the road in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. This was a back-and-forth game that had the physicality of a postseason matchup. Given the strength of these two sides, this nationally televised tilt might have served as an NBA Finals preview.

In this contest, each side was missing key contributors. The OKC Thunder entered the game without Rising Star Ajay Mitchell, who has been an incredible table-setter for this team while also relentless in getting into the paint and All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, who serves as the team's no. 2 scoring option. With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back set, the Knicks did not have rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson.

As the game played out, it was an all-hands-on-deck type of night. The Thunder saw key plays from everyone who stepped foot on the hardwood to gut out this tight win.

In the second half, Alex Caruso pulled off a drive and kick set up to Jaylin Williams for a wide-open triple that the back up big man clanged. Caruso controlled the miss and tapped out the rebound to Jared McCain, who knocked down the second-chance look from downtown for his lone make on the night. The Thunder defensive ace laid splattered on the ground and was slow to get up. When Caruso peeled himself off the hardwood, he labored his way to the bench, clearly favoring his hip.

The now 31-year-old veteran was ruled out for the rest of the contest with a hip contusion, leaving his status for this pivotal home stand on deck up in the air.

Caruso wasn't the only Thunder player to have an early exit due to injuries. Starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein only logged 17 minutes in his contest, where he hauled in five rebounds and dished out two assists, which featured a dribble pitch out to Chet Holmgren for three free points as part of Holmgren's six triple night and a dribble hand-off with Lu Dort for a mid-range pull-up.

At first, the starting big man's absence snuck under the radar as Hartenstein has been on a minute restriction since returning from his right soleus strain, which the seven-footer has dealt with twice this season. Then, the game got later and he still remained planted on the pine.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Hartenstein was ruled out for the rest of the game with left calf tightness. The positive news is that this appears to be different than the issue he has been nursing throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

After the game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was peppered with questions about Hartenstein's departure, where he didn't reveal much of anything when it comes to the severity of the issue, but did dish on the process to hold him out of the game.

"[Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein] were just ruled out for the rest of the game. We'll evaluate them tomorrow," Daigneault said. "When they went out, they weren't coming back."

The Thunder have a pair of off days on Thursday and Friday to get re-evaluations for both of these early exists but it is getting late early on this regular season journey for the Bricktown Ballers who have seldomly played a game with their complete rotation.

"I don't know. Maybe. He was on the bench and then I was told he was out," Daigneault said of Hartenstein. "So it was definitely how he felt when he was over there."

Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Golden State Warriors in another Nationally Televised tilt on Saturday evening inside the Paycom Center.