The Knicks won Game 2 against the 76ers on Monday night without two big plays in the final minutes by Isaiah Hartenstein.
With about 18 seconds left and the Knicks trailing by two points, the 25-year-old grabbed an offensive rebound after Donte DiVincenzo missed a 3-point shot and bounced the ball to OG Anunoby, who then hit DiVincenzo. I gave a pass. Another 3-pointer made the Knicks a 102-101 lead with 13 seconds left.
Then, with about nine seconds left, Hartenstein contested a shot on Tyrese Maxey’s quick drive to the basket, but Maxey missed, giving the Knicks a miraculous 104-101 victory and ending the NBA playoff series. He took a 2-0 lead in the first round. Hartenstein was not officially credited with the block on this play, but he at least influenced the shot.
He finished with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 4 assists, and 3 blocks in 30 minutes, a performance that caught the attention of Magic Johnson.
“Isaiah Hartenstein was a hero for the Knicks with his 14 point, 8 rebound performance! He had the game-clinching offensive rebound that led to DiVincenzo’s game-winning three points and the block on Tyrese Maxey that secured the win. We had both! 🔥 What a wild, fun, exciting playoff game!!” Johnson said. I wrote to X Monday night.
Hartenstein became the Knicks’ starting center in December when Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery, and remained in the starting lineup when Robinson returned late in the regular season.
He averaged a career-high 8.3 rebounds and played 25.3 minutes per game in his sixth NBA season.
The Knicks will make a decision on Hartenstein, who is entering the final season of his two-year, $16 million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Robinson, a talented but injury-prone 26-year-old, is in the second season of a four-year, $60 million contract.
