Inside the final minute of the first quarter, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson hauled in an offensive rebound along the right baseline, pivoted through two defenders, and went up for a layup, only to be fouled hard by Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford.
While he lay on the floor, newly-acquired point guard Jose Alvarado got in Watford’s face, prompting coaches from both benches to get in the mix. Alvarado got a technical, as did 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, which normally would be nothing but a footnote in the Knicks’ 138-89 laugher of a win over their division rivals.
But Alvarado has finally brought something that these Knicks have been considerably lacking this season: tenacity.
Often accused of being too soft in the most timid of eras in recent NBA history, Alvarado has provided the sandpaper that New York has considerably lacked this season.
“It was a hard foul and [Watford] did a little extra with the staring,” Alvarado said (h/t Jared Schwartz, NY Post). “I’m not going to go for anything like that. But that was just in the moment, and that’s when I’m at my best, I guess.”
Alvarado was, indeed, at his best in Philadelphia. In just 19 minutes, he poured in 26 points with eight 3-pointers made, five steals, and four assists. He became the first player in NBA history to have at least 25 points, eight or more 3-pointers, and five-plus steals in under 30 minutes of play.
After his run-in with Watford, the Knicks went on a 27-9 run that put the game away early, and further cements the idea that this is a far more complete team with Alvarado in the rotation. The Brooklyn native is a plus-42 across his first three games with New York after being acquired at the NBA trade deadline from the New Orleans Pelicans.
“His quickness, his ability to shoot the basketball, his ability to pass and make plays without getting knocked off his body, is going to be huge,” head coach Mike Brown said of his new guard. “He had a great offensive game for us, and we need that fire from him. We need that passion. We need that sense of urgency, and it sparks us.”
For more on Jose Alvarado and the Knicks, visit AMNY.com
