Thunder's defense is breaking the Lakers, starting with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein

The insistence of doubling down on size at a time where pace and skill have taken over has always been a bold move from the Thunder — which a number of teams have tried, and failed to emulate — but it’s a bit different down south. This isn’t your typical case of largely immobile bigs; both are more than capable of covering ground, switching onto a myriad of assignments all while possessing the ability to crash the glass. During the regular season, Oklahoma City held opponents to just 100.7 points per 100 possessions with both Hartenstein and Holmgren on the floor, a mark that would clear their own teams (which led the pack) by as much of a difference as first and tenth place. Their playoff performance, which has dipped some as the competition has increased, would still give them a top-five defense in the regular season and among the best eight playoff teams. The pair combined for 32 points, 18 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 blocks on Thursday evening, a constant thorn in a desperate Lakers’ side that struggled to generate much rhythm.

(Holmgren’s varied skill set, in particular, truly makes this partnership work. Hartenstein’s ability to swat away James’ entry passes and Holmgren’s penchant for erasing potential alley-oops affords Daigneault flexibility in how he positions both on the floor, whether they’re playing together or not. But Holmgren’s floor spacing at the other end — he’s shooting 45 percent from deep on four attempts per game — allows him to be used in various lineups, all to positive effect. Per CourtSketch, Holmgren was on the floor in two of the Thunder’s four most pivotal lineups, outscoring the Lakers 30-15.)

“It’s huge,” Hartenstein told Yahoo Sports of their collective defensive impact. “We play really well off each other defensively and offensively. I think it just gives Mark different looks that he can play with. We have a unique team where a lot of different guys from the starters to the bench could probably start on a lot of teams. So being able to play together and be egoless. Our connection has really been growing ever since he came back.”

As the series shifts to LA, an aggressive Lakers unit will attempt to deconstruct the Thunder’s size in the middle in hopes of saving their season and avoiding the same 3-0 hole they sent Houston into. Superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a modest 22 points in Game 2 and has 40 points through two games, but they’ll need much more than that to stand a chance against the current NBA champions. And it’s not just that Holmgren’s playoff stocks are at a historic rate or his overall output — the combination of his rebounding, stocks and true shooting has comparisons to only one other NBA colleague in recent history. And it’s not just that Hartenstein’s willingness to embrace the dirt and grime of the playoffs, putting his nose and hands in places it shouldn’t be, has invigorated a determined Thunder side.

It’s the fact that they’re doing it together. There’s an unspoken in-game language between the two, an understanding of where to be at all times, whether one is shading the middle while the other picks up the ball, or one crashes hard while the other angles for an outlet and so on and so forth. Last season, the pair played 679 possessions together. This year, that figure more than doubled. Time breeds consistency.

“It’s a mixture of things,” Hartenstein said of their unique bond. “Watching film, when we worked out together in the summer, talking about that and just communicating. I think that’s the biggest thing. And just reps, being able to play more together this year — last year was a quick stint but we learned a lot from it. And we just keep building on that.”