Even with Jalen Brunson scoring 40 points nightly, it’s hard to say anyone on the New York Knicks has hit bigger shots this postseason than Donte DiVincenzo.
The sixth-year guard out of Villanova hit a 29-foot three with 40 seconds left to lift his team to victory over the Indiana Pacers.
DiVincenzo scored just 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting in the first half before scoring 21 in the second, including the game winning three.
He told reporters postgame that his confidence never wavers.
“I believe every shot that I shoot is going in,” DiVincenzo said after Game 1. “That’s my mentality, and I’ve had that all year. Make or miss, I believe the next one is going in.”
New York went on to win Game 1, and that’s a second postseason victory that can be chalked up to late-game heroics from DiVincenzo.
He hit a game-winning three in the Knicks’ series against the Philadelphia 76ers. With 15.8 seconds left in Game 2, DiVincenzo connected on the second of two three-point attempts to give New York a lead, and ultimately a win.
They wouldn’t win the series until Game 6, but were in position to do so thanks to the big shot.
DiVincenzo’s first postseason with the New York Knicks hasn’t been perfect by any means. But when you’ve almost single handedly won your team two playoff games, it doesn’t matter.
Especially not with Brunson playing the way he is. DiVincenzo acknowledged his point guard and former college teammate after the win.
DiVincenzo on Jalen Brunson: ‘He’s Our MVP’
Jalen Brunson started the series against the Pacers much like he left the series against the 76ers. He finished Game 1 with 43 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
After the 121-117 win, DiVincenzo was read the list of MVP finalists for 2023-2024 (Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and asked if he thought Brunson should be mentioned amongst the group.
He responded by reminding fans and reporters that Brunson has been an MVP-caliber player this season, despite not being named a finalist for the award.
“They’re all deserving players,” DiVincenzo told SNY. “The thing about us, is we know what we have in Jalen. And that’s all that matters, I think for us, internally. He’s our leader. Would you like to see his name in that conversation? Absolutely. But we know in our locker room that he’s our MVP. He’s our leader, and we’re going to ride with him.”
When asked the moment he knew that Brunson was capable of performances like Game 1 on a nightly basis, DiVincenzo was emphatic, throwing it back to their days at Villanova.
“He’s been doing this ever since we moved in together in college honestly,” DiVincenzo continued. “He’s been doing this. It’s the preparation mixed with the opportunity. Opportunity presents itself to him and he takes full advantage of it. He studies the game, he knows how teams are going to adjust, and he continues to make adjustments himself. He finds different ways to be successful. He’s always had this, it’s just now you guys are seeing it on this stage.”
They’ll keep seeing it, with another win keeping New York alive in 2024, and trending towards a Conference Finals appearance.
Knicks’ Series Odds with 1-0 Lead
According to Land of Basketball, of 212 Conference Semifinals series in NBA history, 158 teams that take a 1-0 lead have gone on to win the series. That’s 74.5-percent of all teams.
With one more game at Madison Square Garden before going on the road to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the New York Knicks look to take a 2-0 lead over the Pacers on their home floor.
And on nights where Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson combine for 68 points, it’s hard to argue they won’t.
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