Isaiah Hartenstein Produces Historic Box Score in Knicks' Win Over Bulls

Isaiah Hartenstein's career-best performance in the New York Knicks' Wednesday win over the Chicago Bulls proved historic in more ways than one.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 4, 2024

Isaiah Hartenstein Produces Historic Box Score in Knicks' Win Over Bulls /

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has been thrust into a starting role this season with Mitchell Robinson possibly sidelined for the year, but the 25-year-old has risen to the occasion.

In the Knicks' 116-100 win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, Hartenstein recorded a 20-rebound, 10-point double-double, grouping that with five blocks. He became the first Knick to earn at least 20, 10, and five in each respective category since Marcus Camby in 2002 and just the fourth overall next to John Gianeli and Patrick Ewing, who did so 12 times.

Screenshot 2024-01-04 16.34.46 — Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS

In the aftermath, Hartenstein mentioned that his confidence has continued to grow as he continues to man the Knicks' interior for Robinson.

"I can play this role," Hartenstein said in video from SNY. "I've always had the confidence that I could play but I was never really in that situation. Before I finished games, but now I'm consistently playing 30-plus minutes."

In the coming weeks, the Knicks will have to evaluate the progress of Hartenstein, an unrestricted- free-agent-to-be, to determine whether they should keep him or if they need to make a trade to add interior depth. With the trade deadline five weeks away, the Knicks aren't afraid to make a big splash as they proved by trading for former Toronto Raptor OG Anunoby.

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If Hartenstein continues to play as he did against the Bulls, the Knicks (19-15) should feel comfortable with him carrying out this role if Robinson is truly done for the year.

Hartenstein and the Knicks are back in action on Friday night when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m., MSG/ESPN).

Published Jan 4, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.