The New York Knicks edged closer to the semi-finals with their second consecutive home victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. Their victory by 104-101 scoreline, filled Magic Johnson with emotions and it seems like the Lakers legend is having a good time watching the playoffs. After the game concluded, Magic took to Twitter to express his views and pick his ‘Hero of The Game’.
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The 5x champion outlined Isaiah Hartenstein as the biggest contributor to the Knicks’ wins. As per Johnson, the 25-year-old’s defensive capabilities kept the hosts in the game, paving the way for a thrilling finish. Highlighting the 7ft center’s on-court authority, the Buck wrote the following on X (formerly Twitter).
“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!!”
His words summarized the clash in detail, adding volume to Hartenstein’s endeavors. Four of the Oregon-born’s eight rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor, as per ESPN; one of which led to the game-winning 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo. On top of this, his third block of the clash on Tyrese Maxey’s game-defining shot attempt sealed the Knicks’ fate. The 2017 pick was also highly efficient throughout the game, scoring 14 points while going 7/8 from the field.
This stat line justifies the hype from Johnson, as the Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the series. However, the journey remains an uphill one for the organization in the subsequent clashes. They will now have to pay a visit to Philadelphia to aim to sustain this run. The obstacles become tougher for them, yet the team stays focused on their second consecutive run to the semi-finals.
