PHILADELPHIA — The little man stood up for the big man. And it had a big impact.
It’s not a sight that has been common around these Knicks this year — someone actually getting in an opponent’s face to stick up for a teammate.
Mitchell Robinson, while going up for a dunk, was brought down hard by Trendon Watford at the end of the first quarter of the Knicks’ 138-89 win over the 76ers on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Immediately, with Robinson still on the ground, Alvarado tried to push Watford away.
When Watford didn’t budge, Alvarado exchanged a few words with him, and the two had to be separated.
Alvarado and 76ers coach Nick Nurse were both given technical fouls.
“He did a hard foul, but I think he did a little extra with the staring,” Alvarado said. “I’m just not gonna go for none of that. It was just in the moment. That’s when I’m at my best, I guess, getting a little active. It worked out in my favor.”
And it sparked the Knicks run that blew the game open and put them firmly in control.
After the incident, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 15 points before Alvarado checked out in the second quarter to increase their lead from nine to 24 points.
Alvarado scored nine of those 15 points with a trio of 3-pointers.
“He ignited us,” coach Mike Brown said, “in a lot of different ways.
It wasn’t a major fracas, but it was a bit of snarl that the Knicks were missing this year, one of the reasons they acquired Alvarado just ahead of the deadline.
It was a major contrast to their lack of response when Draymond Green grabbed Karl-Anthony Towns’ leg and dragged him down during the loss to the Warriors on Jan 15.
Now, though, the Knicks have an enforcer. Even if he’s generously listed at 6 feet.
Brown gives out a defensive player of the game afterward, and the recipient poses with a pair of Timberland boots, among other accessories, to represent a hard-nosed mentality.
It was fitting that Alvarado, who got the recognition Wednesday, was already wearing his own pair.
“That’s what we need,” Josh Hart said. “That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”
Alvarado’s dogged on-ball defending and toughness are what he’s known for. His offensive game is usually much more of a question mark.
But he was their unlikely leading scorer Wednesday, finishing with 26 points, almost all via 3-pointers.
Garbage time became Alvarado time, as he began toying with the 76ers during the fourth quarter, using his patented sneak attack to come up with steals while jacking up 3s on the other end. He hit four more 3s in that fourth quarter.
His 26 points and five steals were both season highs. He was a team-high plus-35 in just 19 minutes. His eight 3s tied a career high.
“I had it rolling,” Alvarado said. “I didn’t know I had eight [3s] — I should’ve made one more so I could break my tie.”
By the fourth quarter, the plethora of Knicks fans in attendance were chanting “Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose” and getting on their feet for every shot. A potentially key Knicks energizer has firmly arrived.
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