Thunder big Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on scrap with Andre Jackson Jr. in NBA Cup

The OKC Thunder may not have come away from the second annual NBA Cup as champions, but they did prove to the masses that they're willing to throw down with anyone who they believe crosses the line.

During their 97-81 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night, Isaiah Hartenstein and Andre Jackson Jr. got a bit chippy in the second period and were forced to separate by intervening teammates. The scrum would eventually lead to double technicals being assessed.

Initially, the cause for the scuffle proved to be quite a mystery.

In live action, it seemed Hartenstein randomly beelined it to Jackson from across the court following a pause in play due to Giannis Antetokounmpo slipping to the ground,

However, when asked about the on-court incident following the contest, the big man revealed that his actions were in response to what he believed to be a below-the-belt cheap shot by Jackson on Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein provides insight to Andre Jackson Jr. scrum

Speaking to reporters back in the locker room post-game, the Thunder center revealed that he saw Andre Jackson Jr. take a swing at SGA's "groin area" leading up to the clock stoppage and opted to intervene.

Now, while standing up for and protecting one's franchise cornerstone should always be a priority, Hartenstein made it abundantly clear in his assessment of the situation that his teammate's star status wasn't the reason why he took exception to the suspected act by the Bucks wing.

Instead, he stated that his response would have been the same had it involved any other teammate.

"If it would've happened to any other teammate I would have done the same thing. If the refs don't call it, I have to take it into my own hands. Maybe the refs didn't see it but I saw it," Hartenstein said.

Throughout his career, Hartenstein has never seemed to be one who shies away from entering into a face-to-face encounter with an opposing player in response to some sort of disrespect or unnecessary roughness.

While with the Knicks last postseason he seemed ready to take on the entire Indiana Pacers roster after teammate Donte DiVincenzo wound up on the receiving end of a brutal screen by center Isaiah Jackson.

Even after Oklahoma City's NBA Cup Final-clinching victory over the Houston Rockets last Saturday, Hartenstein showed his acceptance for and excitement over seeing increased intensity and physicality being displayed in-game when necessary, even offering to pay for any fines that may come Cason Wallace's way after getting into it with big man Alperen Sengun.

Regardless of the outcome of their recent bout against the Bucks, it's evident that I-Hart has provided this once rather soft and easily overpowered Thunder team with a much-needed jolt of vigor and ferocity.

Both are attributes they could have certainly used during last year's ill-fated semifinal matchup against the Dallas Mavericks and will come in handy as this year's high-expectation postseason run.

Past legendary championship teams had hard-nosed, no-nonsense enforcers on their side: The Detroit Pistons had Bill Laimbeer; Michael Jordan's Bulls had Dennis Rodman.

Perhaps one day people will look back at this era of Thunder basketball and say "Oklahoma City had Isaiah Hartenstein!"