For the Knicks, that was Ariel Hukporti in Game 1 on Monday night.
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Hukporti saw the court just three times in New York’s first-round matchup against the Hawks, but this time they were forced to turn to him from the start.
Karl-Anthony Towns He finished well after an early injury scare, but the big man was forced to the bench after picking up two early fouls against Joel Embiid.
michel robinson He came in, but quickly fouled out and then Philadelphia resorted to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy to try to stop the Knicks, so he was pulled as well.
Ariel Hukporti He entered his most significant minutes so far in these playoffs.
However, the youngster was ready for the big moment, giving New York the big man they needed and holding his own in the tough matchup with Embiid.
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He entered the half with a +10 in his three minutes of action.
Hukporti saw even more time with the game out of reach down the stretch, and ended up finishing the win with five points, a game-high nine rebounds, and a +22.
“I have to give Ariel credit.” mike brown saying. “We had foul trouble early and Ariel came off the bench and obviously wasn’t expected to play, and he did a pretty solid job.
“You’re not going to stop a guy like Embiid or (tire) MaxeyHopefully you get them going without fouling, and I thought Ariel did a really good job in that area.”
Hukporti will need to be prepared going forward, as New York may have to turn to him again as they look to keep Embiid in check during this second-round series.