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As of right now, the New York Knicks are without four of their most reliable rotation players: Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic, who both had season-ending injuries earlier, have joined OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, who suffered lower-body fractures during their second-round series contrary to the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA playoffs. Thus, some pundits believed that the Knicks would not be able to make it to the postseason. But in Game 5, the Knicks stole the momentum from the Pacers and went on to win 121-89 to take a 3-2 series advantage.
To be fair, Jalen Brunson took center stage in Tuesday night’s headlines. He again made the Pacers defense look foolish as he scored 44 points. This demonstrated his status as one of the best 10 players in the league as he recorded his sixth 40-highlight game of the playoffs, which is tied for his third-highest total in a single postseason run.
But a team cannot win with just one individual leading them. While Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers wanted to give appropriate credit to one unsung hero in particular for his ability to force his will on the game, Brunson received plenty of support from his colleagues on the Knicks who have avoided injury.
It’s true that Isaiah Hartenstein is playing brilliantly right now; he is dominating the Pacers’ frontcourt and was unstoppable on the offensive glass on Tuesday night. Throughout the season, Hartenstein has stepped up for the Knicks in the face of Mitchell Robinson’s injuries, and his value is rising at the ideal time.
Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo, the Villanova trio, have received the most attention, but it’s difficult to imagine the Knicks making it this far without Hartenstein’s contributions. Hartenstein’s rise has been an underappreciated subplot of how the Knicks have remained ultra competitive despite injuries to four key rotation players.
