New York Knicks: Who Stepped Up Against The Miami Heat?

Kristaps Porzingis

The New York Knicks are building the future of the organization around power forward Kristaps Porzingis. The 21-year-old phenom has shown flashes of having the ceiling of a legitimate MVP-caliber player in the somewhat near future.

For now, Porzingis is progressing game-by-game and silencing the critics who believe that he’s incapable of playing well without Carmelo Anthony.

Porzingis finished the 98-94 win over the Miami Heat with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field. He added seven rebounds, two offensive rebounds, three assists, one block, and two 3-point field goals made in 36 stellar minutes of play.

In addition to tying Goran Dragic with 22 points, Porzingis had a game-high +/- of +10 in New York’s four-point victory over its bitter rival.

Porzingis has now scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games, including the 25 he scored against the Detroit Pistons. He’s up to an average of 18.2 points per game and is up to 129 blocks and 112 3-point field goals made.

Porzingis may still be benefiting from Anthony’s presence on the court, but he’s learning by fire and producing intriguing results.