Tag: isaiah hartenstein

Knicks’ Julius Randle gets another shot at rival Bobby Portis

Julius Randle knows he can’t bully Bobby Portis.

“He’s one of the few people who, I guess, is not scared,” Randle said.

Randle, a physical force, has known this for a while since he and Portis have faced off “my whole life” as power forwards in the same high school class from the South.

Still, Randle tried to trash-talk his longtime rival in the second quarter of Saturday’s Knicks-Bucks matchup — when the Knicks All-Star converted an and-one and proceeded to flex his chest — which only seemed to activate Portis.

From that moment, Portis scored 19 of his 23 points — displaying his usual boisterousness while yelling at Randle and celebrating wildly — as the Bucks rolled to a 130-111 victory.

Portis, who has been on a tear for a couple weeks, is pumped for the Knicks rematch on Christmas afternoon.

“It’s one of those things on a yearly basis, you watch all your favorites — the Kobe Bryants of the world, the Kevin Garnetts of the world, the LeBron James of the world,” Portis said. “And to be able to play on Christmas at the Garden, the Mecca of basketball, I’m excited.”

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) looks to drive past New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Randle, a physical force, also played well offensively Saturday while scoring 26 points but was killed on the glass.

He and Portis were teammates in New York for a season after both were signed during the 2019 free agency.

It was a poor fit because they played the same position and Portis later labeled it “the most miserable season of my career.”

Now they’re back to being friendly rivals.

Julius Randle (30) drives to the basket as he is double teamed by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“We’ve been doing it for a while,” Randle said. “But it’s always fun.”

With greater minutes comes greater responsibility.

With injuries decimating the center rotation, Isaiah Hartenstein went from backup to indispensable and it killed the Knicks in Saturday’s loss to the Bucks.

Hartenstein managed just two minutes before committing his second foul and being removed for Taj Gibson.

The Knicks trailed by nine when Hartenstein returned in the second quarter and never recovered.

“That’s just something I can’t do, especially given the situation we’re in right now,” Hartenstein said. “Before when we had [Mitchell Robinson], we had the luxury of: if one guy was not doing good, or if one guy was in foul trouble, I don’t think there was any drop-off at all. So I feel like especially in a situation where Taj is coming back trying to get his feet under him, I can’t do that. I think I put us in a bad situation, especially against a team like that, where even when I come back, it’s kinda hard to get the lead back. So for the future, I’ve just gotta be better in that situation, and I will be better in that situation.”

It’s unclear how long this will last. Jericho Sims, who sprained his ankle, is expected to return in about a week — maybe longer — but Hartenstein would still get the majority of minutes. Robinson is out for an extended period, perhaps until the end of the season.

New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) argue with an official in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Unless team president Leon Rose awakens and completes a trade, Hartenstein, who is bloodied in almost every game these days (he got stitches in his lip from an elbow last week against the Nets), can’t get in foul trouble.

“We played out of a hole from the start of the game,” Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought we got behind when Isaiah got into foul trouble to start and then it snowballed from there.”

The Knicks are playing their 56th game on Christmas, the most in the NBA after competing in the league’s first Xmas contest in 1947.

They’re 23-32 all-time on the holiday, with their last victory in 2021 against the Hawks (when Kemba Walker produced a triple-double).

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Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein continues his strong play

ATLANTA — Three weeks ago, Isaiah Hartenstein made the game-clinching defensive stop as the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers. Afterward, he expressed optimism that his improving health would lead to more consistent play.

He has backed up those words.

The 7-foot free agent acquisition from the Clippers continued to impress Wednesday night in a 122-101 rout of the Hawks at State Farm Arena, notching six points, 11 rebounds and three blocks off the bench. A frustrating Achilles injury has been far less of an issue lately. Over his past 12 games, Hartenstein is averaging 6.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes.

“That’s been the biggest change,” Hartenstein told The Post. “I feel like I can do the role that I need to do here a lot better with how good my Achilles is now feeling. … My main thing was helping the team win. Now it’s coming back where I’m doing the little stuff to help the team win.”

One particular play stood out Wednesday in the Knicks’ third straight win. In the second quarter, Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu went for a big dunk and Hartenstein stood him up, rejecting the shot.


Isaiah Hartenstein grabs one of his 11 rebounds during the Knicks’ 122-101 win over the Hawks.
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“It felt good,” he said. “Me and Okongwu always — since I’ve been in the NBA — have had a lot of good battles. It was good to get one.”

Hartenstein’s improved play and the performance of Jericho Sims jhave enabled the Knicks to stay afloat without defensive linchpin Mitchell Robinson. They are 8-6 since Robinson, who could return after the All-Star break, suffered a fractured right thumb on Jan. 18.

“I mentioned this other night, the big thing is anytime someone goes out, and you hate to see anybody be injured, it’s an opportunity for someone else to step in and grow,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think Jericho getting into that role has really been helpful for him and for us. I said this earlier, I love the depth we have at that position…. I don’t want to overlook the contributions Isaiah’s made. Isaiah has found a really good rhythm. He’s playing really well on both sides of the ball. So we’re getting really good production out of that position.”

Thibodeau doesn’t have any big plans for the All-Star break.

“I’ll be at Club Tarrytown,” he joked, a reference to the location of the Knicks’ practice facility.

Archbishop Stepinac alum and Ossining, N.Y., native AJ Griffin scored 12 points off the bench for the Hawks.

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Knicks’ second unit is finally healthy finding its rhythm

Two games after Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau went to his new second unit in early December, Obi Toppin suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula. When he returned a month later, RJ Barrett, a starter who almost always plays with the reserves, was out with a lacerated right index finger. 

Finally, Thibodeau’s second-unit quintet of Toppin, Barrett, Isaiah Hartenstein, Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley are healthy at the same time, and there are signs they can be productive for the Knicks. 

On Tuesday night, that unit helped the Knicks build an 11-point, second-quarter lead, then keyed a strong fourth quarter as part of a 27-point performance. Two nights earlier, the group was pivotal in the Knicks overcoming an early 17-point deficit, although it also struggled in the fourth quarter of that loss to the Raptors. Quickley, however, didn’t play in that game. 

“Huge. I mentioned it earlier that the bench was playing really well prior to RJ getting hurt, then Obi got hurt and we haven’t found our rhythm,” Thibodeau said. “Now I think we’re starting to find that rhythm again.” 


Obi Toppin #1, Immanuel Quickley #5 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks huddle in action against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2022 in New York City.
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Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the New York Knicks celebrates after scoring against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena on January 13, 2023 in Washington, DC.
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The overall numbers of the five aren’t great, although it is a very small sample size. In 53 minutes together they have a minus-6.2 NET rating. Their offensive rating is an even 100, a poor figure, while their defensive rating of 106.2 is solid. 

But there has been much shuffling because of the injuries to Toppin and Barrett, Quickley missing a game with a sore left knee and Hartenstein being slowed by an Achilles injury. They showed what they can do against the Cavaliers, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. 

Toppin scored in double figures for the second straight game, producing 11 points. Quickley continued his ascension as a quality all-around player, notching nine points, six assists, five rebounds and a team-best, plus-14 rating. McBride was aggressive and made quick decisions, dishing out three assists along with his typical quality defense. Then there was Hartenstein, who enjoyed one of his best games as a Knick with nine rebounds, four assists and a block. That included the game-saving stop at the rim of Donovan Mitchell in the final seconds. 

“When they come in and they push the lead like that, it’s tough [or the opposition], because it allows us obviously to get rest, but it just brings a certain momentum and confidence to our team when they play like that,” Julius Randle said. 

Consistency is clearly the key, but so is health. They just haven’t shared the floor enough to develop cohesion. The Knicks need them to be productive, to lighten the load on co-stars Randle and Jalen Brunson. Quickley, averaging career-highs in points (12.4), rebounds (4.0), field goal percentage (42.9) and minutes (27.4), has been a constant. Toppin finding his form of a year ago would be a major boost. Though his 3-point shooting has improved, up to a career-best 37 percent, his other numbers are all down. Lately, though, he has begun to find his game, perhaps as he has shaken off the rust from all that time on the sideline with his leg injury. 


R.J. Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks looks up the court against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on January 22, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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“I loved his aggressiveness,” Thibodeau said. “He’s mixing it up, he’s not settling. It’s some drives to the basket, it’s running the floor, it’s shooting the open 3.” 

Overall, the bench is 26th in the league in scoring, but it does have strong advanced numbers: sixth in offensive rating (114.9) and ninth in NET rating (plus-1.8). As the Knicks try to stay afloat amid a difficult schedule while defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson is out for the next month with a fractured right thumb, they will need their bench to make a positive impact on a consistent basis. 

Their latest showing was a step forward in that direction. 

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