Brown highlights second-year center's impact in 106-100 victory over Orlando.
The New York Knicks entered Sunday's matchup against the Orlando Magic with revenge on their minds, and they got exactly what they came for.
With star center Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined due to a left calf injury, someone needed to step up in the middle, and second-year big man Ariel Hukporti answered the call in a big way.
Brown's Praise for Hukporti
After the Knicks secured a 106-100 victory at Madison Square Garden, head coach Mike Brown didn't hesitate when naming his top defender of the afternoon.
"Our Defensive Player of the Game: (Honorable Mention OG Anunoby) but our DPOG was Ariel Hukporti," Brown said during his postgame press conference. "Really really good with verticalities, four 50-50 balls, play in transition where he showed one of his superpowers—speed—raced down for block when he was completely out of the play."
The 23-year-old German center put together arguably the best performance of his young NBA career, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and one steal across 23 minutes of action.
It was only the second time in his career that Hukporti logged at least 20 minutes, and he made every second count on both ends of the floor.
The Bigger Picture
Hukporti's breakout game came at a critical time for New York.
The Knicks (16-7) improved to 13-1 at home with the win while avenging their only home loss of the season, which came against these same Magic back on November 12.
Alongside Mitchell Robinson, Hukporti helped control the paint against a physical Orlando team, with the duo combining for 48 minutes, 12 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and four blocks.
OG Anunoby led New York with 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range while adding seven rebounds and three steals of his own, but Brown made it clear that Hukporti's defensive contributions were what set the tone for the afternoon.
What's Next
The win extended the Knicks' impressive run as one of the Eastern Conference's top teams, and it showed that their young center depth can hold up when needed.
With Towns dealing with his calf issue, Hukporti's performance should give the coaching staff confidence that they can count on him to fill a meaningful role moving forward.
For Orlando (14-10), the loss was made even more difficult by the first-quarter departure of star forward Franz Wagner, who suffered a lower left leg injury and will be re-evaluated ahead of the Magic's NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup against Miami.
New York will look to keep things rolling when they travel to Toronto to face the Raptors on Tuesday, December 9.