There are a few things that the New York Knicks relied on throughout the 2023-24 NBA regular season that led them to success. You know they are going to play with 100 percent effort every game and get after it on the defensive end of the court.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau’s reputation precedes him as his teams are always physical and aggressive. The Knicks’ entire roster has embodied that this season, as they are a well-oiled machine that has bought in.
One of the pillars of a successful Thibodeau team is their work on the glass. His teams are good at finishing defensive possessions by grabbing a rebound but truly excel when it comes to the offensive glass and keeping possessions alive.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Josh Hart, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks Updates
Throughout the regular season, New York’s ability to create second chances made up for any lack of efficiency the team had. Mitchell Robinson was on a record-setting pace in the offensive rebounding department before his ankle surgery in December.
When he went out of the lineup, Isaiah Hartenstein just picked up right where Robinson left off. He has been one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA this season as well. When you add in Josh Hart, who is the best rebounding guard in the league with an unrelenting motor, the Knicks are hard to stop.
The Philadelphia 76ers are learning that the hard way in their NBA Playoff series. In the first two games, New York has bludgeoned them on the boards. In Game 1, the Knicks grabbed 22 offensive rebounds compared to 23 defensive rebounds for Philadelphia.
In Game 2, it was more of the same. The Knicks had 12 more offensive rebounds, with Hartenstein’s in the waning seconds of the game being the most prominent one. In the early going of the series, that aggressiveness on the boards has been the difference.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Josh Hart, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks Updates
Just how dominant have the Knicks been? As shared by NBA University, New York has rebounded 42.5 percent of its misses in the series. That is an eye-popping number as the Knicks were the best offensive-rebounding team in the league at 29.5 percent.
Hart has eight offensive rebounds in two games, while Hartenstein has nine and Robinson has 10. In Game 1, four different Knicks players pulled down at least four offensive rebounds. Their dominance on the glass has been integral to the Knicks getting a 2-0 series lead as their matchup shifts to Philadelphia for two games.
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