Karl-Anthony Towns praises Knicks rookie who might need to become a playoff hero

The third time's the charm. The New York Knicks finally took down the Chicago Bulls in another dramatic, close showdown against their Eastern Conference rival.

New York narrowly escaped with a 113-111 victory in front of its home crowd at Madison Square Garden. And notably, the Knicks did so on a night without two starters, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. Their absences created additional opportunities for players who typically don't get as much playing time, like rookie center Ariel Hukporti and combo guard Miles McBride.

Hukporti didn't stuff the stat sheet by any stretch of the imagination, but his presence was felt. He was a spark plug off the bench, particularly on the glass and defensive end of the floor. The 2024 No. 58 overall pick was impressive, even catching the attention of All-Star teammate Karl-Anthony Towns.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy.

Karl-Anthony Towns praises Knicks rookie Ariel Hukporti, who might need to become a playoff hero

"Our rookie was really, really good tonight," Towns told reporters during his postgame media availability, referring to Hukporti. "He was special."

As Towns alludes to, it took a collective effort by the Knicks to beat the Bulls. Everyone had to pick up the slack sans Anunoby and Hart. They're key cogs in New York's rotation due to their two-way prowess. And with them sidelined, Hukporti (and McBride) filled in more than admirably.

In 17 minutes of action versus Chicago, Hukporti converted his lone field goal attempt, totaling two points. He also corralled five rebounds and battled through a screen in the fourth quarter for an emphatic highlight block. Moreover, the Bulls were 3-of-12 on shots when Hukporti was the primary defender, per the NBA's official stats. Again, the numbers don't pop off the screen, but the German 7-footer proved himself as a capable reserve.

Between New York's lack of depth and fellow big man Mitchell Robinson's ostensibly perenially murky health status, Hukporti may be a factor for the Knicks.