Ntilikina no rookie on defensive end

The Knicks had just gone up three points, 96-93, and the Jazz who were raining 3s all game seemed one shot away from a tie. A pass was launched toward the right corner with 2:45 left.

The ball never found its mark, ending up in the real expensive seats instead. Frank Ntilikina’s arms and hands and defensive IQ saw to that.

“We have great confidence in him defensively. It’s great that a young guy comes into this league with more defensive principles than the offensive principles,” coach Jeff Hornacek said of the rookie after the Knicks outlasted Utah, 106101, at the Garden on Wednesday.

“He’s going to grow and get better and better at the offensive side of it. It’s hard to teach the other way. He does a great job. He’s got long arms. Late in the game they tried to throw the ball in the corner. He didn’t get sucked in. He kind of split guys and had those long arms out.”

Just part of the job description, Ntilikina said. He finished with two steals and seven points in 20 minutes.

“Just offensively, defensively my goal is just to bring whatever I can to the team so it’s going to be on both ends and that’s my mindset,” Ntilikina said.

And he did do it at both ends. In addition to the defense that seems simply to be part of his basketball DNA, Ntilikina hit two big baskets in the fourth quarter. They came just 35 seconds apart. He nailed a pull-up at 8:33 that got the Knicks within 87-85 and then after good friend Donovan Mitchell drove and scored for Utah, Ntilikina came right back and hit from 21 feet at 7:58.

Not bad, considering he was only 1-of-3 through three quarters. So those two baskets were special.

“Good, good, good,” Ntilikina said. “The main thing was to stay confident. Been working on the shot and I know I’m able to do it. I just have to keep being confident and hit it.”

And of course, defensively, well, he has shown to everyone what he can do.

“He doesn’t back down from anyone. The kid is very, very skilled,” Lance Thomas said. “He has a high IQ on the defensive end. He always puts his hand in the right spot. He sends guys to the weaker side and he plays the passing lanes. He’s doing everything he’s supposed to be doing and it’s amazing to watch.”