Isaiah Hartenstein was unheralded ‘hero’ with two plays that saved Knicks in Game 2

The Knicks don’t win Game 2 over the 76ers Monday night without two massive plays by Isaiah Hartenstein in crunch time.

With roughly 18 seconds left and the Knicks down by two, the 25-year-old came up with an offensive rebound after Donte DiVincenzo missed a 3-point attempt and was able to bounce pass the ball to OG Anunoby, who dished it to DiVincenzo for another 3-pointer that this time went in, putting the Knicks up 102-101 with 13 seconds remaining.

Hartenstein then contested a Tyrese Maxey shot on a quick drive to the basket with around nine seconds left that Maxey missed, leading to the Knicks’ miracle 104-101 win to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series; Hartenstein was not officially credited with a block on the play but he at the very least impacted the shot.

He finished with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting, eight rebounds (four offensive), four assists and three blocks in 30 minutes, and his performance caught the eye of Magic Johnson.

“Isaiah Hartenstein is the hero of the Knicks with his 14 point, 8 rebound performance! He had both the game-winning offensive rebound that led to DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3 AND the block on Tyrese Maxey that secured the victory!???? What a wild, fun, and exciting playoff game!!,” Johnson wrote on X Monday night.

Hartenstein became the Knicks’ starting center in December when Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery and remained in the starting lineup upon Robinson’s return late in the regular season.

Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein grabs an offensive rebound before Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3-pointer. X/NBA Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein contests 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey’s shot on April 22, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein guards 76ers center Joel Embiid. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post

He averaged career-highs of 8.3 rebounds and 25.3 minutes per game in his sixth NBA season.

The Knicks will have a decision to make on Hartenstein, who is in the final season of a two-year, $16 million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

The talented but oft-injured Robinson, 26, is in the second season of a four-year, $60 million contract.