Ariel Hukporti’s Knicks Importance Likely to Grow as 76ers Series Goes on

Knicks center Ariel Hukporti during a game in the regular season. | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Knicks knew full well that the 76ers could make it their mission to go at their bigs in this series, hoping to get them in foul trouble. That became abundantly clear from the jump on Monday, as Joel Embiid continuously sought out contact, leading to both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson seeing early whistles.

What most didn't expect, however, was third-string center Ariel Hukporti to be trusted in the first quarter. Even more, the deep reserve held his own in his first meaningful minutes in this year's playoffs, much to everyone's surprise.

Now, as the Knicks chart their path forward for Game 2 and beyond, it seems likely Hukporti will need extra attention from the staff in their game plan with Philadelphia's intentions made crystal clear.

76ers' foul strategy means Knicks need to have Ariel Hukporti prepared

One of the biggest takeaways from Monday was that Philly wants to muck things up in this postseason rematch. The Sixers, as a team, were reliant on the free-throw line in Game 1, receiving double the attempts (34) that New York did (17). Their stars were the biggest culprits, as Embiid paced all players with nine tries at the charity stripe, while Tyrese Maxey had seven.

Considering that success, there's little reason for Nick Nurse and co. to dial back their players seeking out engagement. In fact, they have motivation to up this tactic in Game 2 and beyond, with the Knicks' offense scorching at the moment. One easy way to try to take New York out of its rhythm is with annoying whistles.

That's not even to mention another benefit of fouls, which could force the Knicks' most important players off the floor. Philly accomplished this in the first quarter of the first game, as Embiid drew five fouls and Maxey drew two in that period alone. That led to Towns picking up two fouls in the first six minutes and being forced out in favor of Mitchell Robinson, who also got whistled twice in Q1.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns argues with a ref during the playoffs. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This is where Hukporti's importance comes in. Towns and Robinson both gave the Sixers signals in Game 1 that they can be exploited for fouls. Philly will likely commit even harder to that path to have any hope of winning this series, so this wasn't just some one-game blip that can be ignored.

That means New York has to keep Hukporti ready for whenever minutes are needed. The best way to make sure Embiid doesn't take over this series is by exhausting him with size, and the Knicks lose that if they can't trust the 7-foot Hukporti to take the baton from Towns or Robinson.

Another Robinson-specific issue is his lack of touch at the free throw line, which the 76ers also targeted early on Monday. The athletic big was sent to the line intentionally twice, yet he missed all four attempts. This was another key motivator for getting Hukporti on the floor.

The jury is still out on Hukporti at the charity stripe, as he posted an ugly 46.2% in his first pro campaign. That number jumped up to 78.8% this season, though it was on a similarly small sample size (0.6 FTA per game).

The unexpected advantage of him being capable of filling time if Towns and Robinson are in foul trouble is lost if "hack-a-Hukporti" becomes a viable strategy. There's even a chance the second-year pro becomes the better main relief option for Towns if Robinson can't find his stroke at the line and Hukporti proves capable there, which is even more reason for New York to take Hukporti's preparation seriously this series.

Game 1 was already a promising sign on that front. Embiid only attempted two shots against the Knicks' backup and got one trip to the FT line. That's exactly what New York needs: someone who won't be a total fish out of water against the frustrating star.

That also goes without mentioning that Hukporti added two blocks against the Sixers' reserves, showing his instincts for affecting shots are on point. And his nine rebounds led all players on either side, hinting that he not only knows his role when he gets on the court, but he can do it at a high level.

New York has to anticipate the Sixers trying to dirty up this series and swing things back in their direction. Focusing on getting the Knicks into foul trouble will be a big part of that, with the bigs clearly in their sights. But Hukporti's encouraging Game 1 shows Mike Brown has a counter to that strategy that may throw Philly's entire plans off.

Now it's on him and the staff to ensure Hukporti is ready for even more run in minutes that matter throughout this series.