Isaiah Hartenstein tied the Knicks’ franchise record in a crucial Game 5 against the Pacers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Hartenstein pulled down 12 offensive boards, tying the previous record set by Charles Oakley in Game 4 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bulls.
This effort along the offensive glass also tied Hartenstein for the fourth-most offensive rebounds in NBA history in a playoff game.
The Knicks big man totaled 17 rebounds in 31 minutes, had seven points and five assists, and finished the night in a 121-91 victory.
Even more impressively, Hartenstein accounted for more than half of the Knicks’ offensive rebounds on Tuesday, outscoring all Pacers along the offensive boards 12-5 by himself.
Hartenstein had called for the Knicks to return to their successful brand of basketball after the team’s embarrassing Game 4 performance in their loss to the Pacers on the road.
“We really have to get our basketball back,” he said after the Game 4 loss. “To come back and play for the fans like that, especially the way we played today was disrespectful to the fans and the way they support us.”
The Knicks had a much better showing in Game 5, with Hartenstein playing a very active role throughout the night.
He even found himself in the middle of a huge struggle after being taken exception to Donte DiVincenzo’s illegal pick that hit Isiah Jackson in the face in the second quarter.
The fighters were chest-to-chest, almost eye-to-eye, and when the referee finally stood between them, Hartenstein shoved Jackson.
The series returned to Indiana, where the Knicks lost both games in the second round of the series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
