Knicks Supporting Actors Step Up, NY Snaps Losing Skid in LA

The 95th Academy Awards were held Sunday night at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

The 70th game of the Knicks' 2022-23 season was held Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. 

The Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Actress - Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, respectively - were both from the Academy Awards' big winner, "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

The Knicks secured their 40th victory of the season Sunday night, snapping a three-game losing streak with a much-needed 112-108 win over the Lakers. And if the team were to hand out little golden statues after the contest, Miles McBride and Isaiah Hartenstein would have received some hardware for their supporting roles. 

With Jalen Brunson sidelined once again by a sore foot, New York not only needed big games from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett (which they got), but they also needed their reserves to step in and step up. 

McBride was banished from the rotation after the Knicks acquired Josh Hart at the deadline, but the second-year guard has remained ready. He tallied eight points, two three-balls and three steals on Sunday, but more than the box score might indicate, Deuce's defensive intensity set the tone for New York whenever he was on the floor. He posted a plus/minus of +15 in his 17 minutes of action.

The kid continues to make winning plays even when his shot isn't dropping. Dating back to the start of his rookie season, McBride has logged more than 15 minutes in 25 games. The Knicks are 20-5 in those 25 contests. 

Like Deuce, Hartenstein's stat line from Saturday night will not jump off the page. In fact, iHart failed to score a single point, missing both of his FG attempts. But he did rip down 11 rebounds and chipped in two dimes, two steals and a block in 24 minutes. In a game in which Mitchell Robinson struggled mightily, Hartenstein's defensive effort and glass work were sorely needed. 

The Knicks were outscored by 15 points in Mitch Rob's 24 minutes. The Knicks outscored LA by 19 points in iHart's 24 minutes. 

The other two Knicks' reserves were also key contributors. Josh Hart did Josh Hart things, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and two treys. He also knocked down two free throws with five seconds left to seal the victory. 

Obi Toppin provided a nice spark offensively in his 12 minutes, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but, yes, it would have been nice to see him get some more playing time.