On Saturday afternoon, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks picked up a big win against their crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. Brunson actually wasn't asked to do a whole lot in this game, instead relying on strong performances from Knicks teammates Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo en route to the victory.
Another player who had a strong game for New York against the Nets was none other than center Isaiah Hartenstein, who has slid into the starting center role for most of this season following an injury to Mitchell Robinson.
Hartenstein has dealt with some injury troubles of his own this season, including most notably a sore Achilles that has kept him in and out of the lineup at certain points of the year, although there were no signs of any trouble based on his performance on Saturday.
After the game vs the Nets, Hartenstein broke down how he has been able to put together solid performances despite the pain, adding that he is now feeling better than ever before as it pertains to his Achilles.
“I'm feeling great,” said Hartenstein, per Ian Begley of SNY on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter. “Our medical staff has done a great job getting me back. I think (head coach Tom Thibodeau) has done a great job of easing me back into it and not forcing it too much. So I'm appreciative of them about that. But I'm just playing my game right now. I think we're playing unselfish basketball and that kind of just helps me out.”
A resilient season for the Knicks
Resiliency has been the word that could perhaps best describe what the Knicks have shown so far this year. Despite prolonged injury absences for both Robinson and starters OG Anunoby and Julius Randle, in addition to a slew of other ailments sustained by Hartenstein, Brunson, and other members of the New York rotation, the Knicks have been able to maintain steady ground in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, currently sitting in fourth place in the conference as the playoffs fast approach.
A large part of the reason for that has been the play of Brunson, who has established himself in the upper echelon of NBA point guards since joining the Knicks back in the summer of 2022. Additionally, players like Hartenstein have stepped up admirably for their injured counterparts, solidifying a New York defense that ranks near the top of the NBA in several major categories, as is a trademark of many a Thibodeau-coached team.
Still, despite all of the success they've had, Knicks fans will certainly want to see their squad fully healthy by the time the NBA playoffs roll around next month. That starts with both Randle and Anunoby, both of whom have missed over a month this season with their respective injuries. Anunoby briefly returned before experiencing inflammation in his injured elbow.
In any case, the Knicks will next take the floor on Monday at home vs the Detroit Pistons.
Follow Us
Subscribe