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Castle's Viral Dunk Fuels OKC Win, Series Tied

5/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Stephon Castle dunked over Isaiah Hartenstein early in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Conference Finals.
Oklahoma City, leading 43-39 at that moment, later won 122-113 to tie the series 1-1.
Castle finished with 25 points while Hartenstein contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The dunk, called the “dunk of the playoffs,” amassed over 68,000 views, stunning former NBA player Reggie Miller.

History

Historical Context

On June 14 1998, Michael Jordan sealed the Chicago Bulls’ sixth title with an 87-86 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, his final shot as a Bull and Phil Jackson’s last as coach. The matchup marked the first repeat Finals since 1989 and still holds the league’s highest-rated broadcast, drawing about 72 million viewers.

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Story summary

Stephon Castle dunked over Isaiah Hartenstein early in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Conference Finals.
Oklahoma City, leading 43-39 at that moment, later won 122-113 to tie the series 1-1.
Castle finished with 25 points while Hartenstein contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The dunk, called the “dunk of the playoffs,” amassed over 68,000 views, stunning former NBA player Reggie Miller.

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