Another player who played well for New York against the Nets was none other than center Isaiah Hartenstein, who slipped into the starting center role for much of this season following Mitchell Robinson’s injury.
Hartenstein has dealt with some injury issues this season, most notably Achilles tendon soreness that has kept him in and out of the lineup at points this year, though there were no signs of any issues on base to his performance on Saturday.
After the game against the Nets, Hartenstein explained how he was able to put together solid performances despite the pain, adding that he now feels better than ever regarding his Achilles tendon.
“I feel great,” Hartenstein said, according to SNY’s Ian Begley on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter. “Our medical staff did a great job bringing me back. I think (coach Tom Thibodeau) did a great job easing me back in and not forcing it too much. So I appreciate them for that. But I’m just playing my game right now. I think we’re playing basketball in an unselfish way and that helps me.”