The former New York Knicks center is dominating the NBA Cup quarterfinals

On By Littum

As the NBA season continues, New York Knicks fans miss center Isaiah Hartenstein with each passing day. The now Oklahoma City Thunder big man has had a career year since leaving New York in free agency, averaging 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks in less than 30 minutes per match. In the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the difference in New York’s performance to Oklahoma City’s could only be described as ‘poetic’.

The Knicks suffered a brutal 108-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. In a game where New York went up by as many as 12 points in the first half, Atlanta took full advantage of the team’s rebounding and defensive mismatches. The Hawks grabbed 22 offensive boards, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks picked the Knicks apart late in the game, with Trae Young finding teammates cutting to the basket or out of the pick-and-roll for lobs. New York’s defense and rebounding were generally poor, with the only true paint was Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 19 boards.

The Knicks could have used Hartenstein as the Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal game, 118-104. The seven-footer put up 10 points, 13 rebounds, a steal and a block. Four of his rebounds came in the fourth quarter. Hartenstein also had five offensive boards.

Hartenstein was a crucial part of the Knicks’ journey to the second round of the playoffs last season, bursting onto the scene as a defensive anchor. Eventually taking the starting job from an injured Mitchell Robinson, the center embraced the tough, blue-collar New York mentality. He quickly became a fan favorite.

That made it all the more painful when Knicks fans saw him leave for a struggling Thunder team. Hartenstein recently opened up about his departure from New York, noting his three-year, $87 million deal to join a championship contender as the reason he left. The Knicks offered him less money, which was the deciding factor.

The Knicks could have used Hartenstein on Wednesday night and could have used him all season up to this point. The Knicks rank in the bottom half of the NBA in defense and hasn’t been able to find a reliable backup center with Robinson still out.

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