Birthday Swish: Donte DiVincenzo Has a Garden Party in Knicks' Latest Win

Newly-minted 27-year-old Donte DiVincenzo was the headliner of the New York Knicks' latest victory.

Some birthday boys want to have their part at Chuck E. Cheese. Donte DiVincenzo chose Madison Square Garden.

DiVincenzo was the headliner of the New York Knicks' latest victory, as the first-year Manhattanite scored 33 points in a 118-103 triumph over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. The win over the Jazz saw DiVincenzo build a 33-point night on a career-best nine three-pointers. He's just the seventh Knick to hit nine in a single game, one short of the record shared by Evan Fournier and JR Smith.

“His work I think has been consistent,” collegiate and professional teammate Jalen Brunson said in the aftermath, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “It gets better and better every single year. Now that he's growing as a player and then, just the way, the confidence he has no matter what the situation is comes from his work ethic."

Formerly of Golden State, DiVincenzo had been a bit of a road warrior in the first half of metropolitan debut: entering Tuesday's game, DiVincenzo finest outings (including a career-best 38 points on Dec. 30 against Indiana) had come beyond Garden fences, as he had never scored more than 19 points in his first 21 showings on Manhattan hardwood. On Tuesday, DiVincenzo dazzled the MSG faithful to help the Knicks (31-17) overcome early woes brought about by the fatigue of a back-to-back, allowing them to mute the Jazz and extend the NBA's longest active winning to eight games. 

Currently on pace for career-best in scoring (12.2) and three-point success rate (42.6), it's safe to say that DiVincenzo has endeared himself to his new surroundings, a tenured that includes a takeover of the team's primary shooting guard spot. He has stepped his game over the latter stages of the Knicks' winning streak, which has lost both OG Anunoby and Julius Randle to injuries: over the past six, the Villanova alum has averaged 19.3 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting over 46 percent from the field.

DiVincenzo is one of the newer Knicks but he has already bought into the multi-faceted culture the team has established over the past year-plus.

"We have an identity here, and everybody buys in and there’s a joy that we have with our team right now," DiVincenzo noted, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "Everybody is celebrating one another, but also, everyone is holding everyone accountable."

Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS

Even with the losses of Anunoby and Randle, there is much to celebrate: the Knicks capped off January with a 14-2 record, its best in a single month since March 1994. New York also holds the third spot on the current Eastern Conference playoff bracket and is 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for second.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau partly credited the recent surge to DiVincenzo's antics, praising his new protege for continuing to trust his shot and make smart decisions on both sides of the ball, even when things weren't going his way in the shooting department. DiVincenzo has tried 30 from three-point range over the past couple, sinking 14. He currently ranks eighth in the Association in successful three-points at 136, hinting at the possibility of joining Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry in the three-point festivities on All-Star Saturday.

“The thing that impressed me as soon as we signed him he was coming in every day putting a lot of time into his shot," Thibodeau said,  I think it was really smart of him to do that. He’s been with different teams. I think feeling good about the way he’s shooting the ball is important. Some of the teammates he’s playing with, I think that helps."

"The thing I love about him is he doesn’t hesitate. He’s open, he just lets it go. He’s been shooting the ball great, obviously that opens up the floor. He’s making a lot of hustle plays for us defensively as well.”

The Tasteful Eight: DiVincenzo, Knicks Mute Jazz For 8th Straight Win

DiVincenzo's next chance to impress lands on Thursday night when the Knicks open February against the Indiana Pacers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).