Kanter takes no joy in his monster game
Knicks starting center Enes Kanter got a slew of Christmas texts congratulating him for his 3 0 -2 0 game.
But Kanter has his 20/20 vision trained on the big picture and he will not return many of those good-natured messages because the Knicks suffered a damaging 105-98 defeat to the Sixers in Monday’s Garden holiday matinee.
Kanter attacked the offensive glass with a frenzy in by far his best game statistically as a Knick. He scored 31 poi nt s and matched a career high with 22 boards — 11 on the offensive glass. He shot 12-of-21 and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line on a day the Knicks missed 10 times from the line.
“It’s always a good thing but people are texting my phone and saying congrats and whatever,’’ Kanter said. “I’m probably not going to text most of them back because who cares if I get 50 points, 50 rebounds? The state, the whole New York State, they want to see the playoffs. If my numbers are not going to put us in the playoff spot.’’ Kanter became the first Knick to post a 30-20 game since David Lee and joins Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Bob Lanier as the only others to do it on Christmas. The 22 rebounds was the most rebounds by any active NBA player on Christmas.
The key piece to the Carmelo Anthony trade, Kanter has been a revelation as an outspoken leader in the locker room and an inside dynamo. His political issues in Turkey have not been a distraction. Last weekend, his former coach Billy Donovan said he’s been missed in the Thunder locker room.
“I see all the fans today just coming out here and to support us, it’s tough to just lose in front of them, especially this amazing crowd out there ,’’ Kant er said. “We’re just going to keep fighting, not backing down, just keep f ighting because this team is really special. I feel like we can beat every team with this group.”
Already averaging a double-double, one of the league leaders in offensive boards and shooting better than 60 percent, Kanter outdid himself in mounting those numbers against arguably the league’s best young big man in Joel Embiid.
Most of the day, if Kanter wasn’t grabbing a rebound, he was backing in a defender in the paint and making the bucket off one of his array of post moves.
There aren’t a lot of traditional centers in the league playing at the level of Kanter, who was a backup to Steve Adams in Oklahoma City and has made Willy Hernangomez a backup in New York.
“Enes is always intense and active,’’ Jeff Hornacek sai d. “He went through a stretch when he had a bad back. He’s springy on his feet and quick to jump.
“A l ot of times a player who wants the ball drops below the rim and jumps to get it. He jumps ahead of it. He was a man on a mission getting those boards, got us [11] offensive rebounds. We ask him to do a lot with running and he doesn’t always get the ball but he opens it up for other guys. You can’t argue with how he played.’’