Ariel Hukporti He appeared to have become a part of the NBA world by scoring his first points as a New York Knick in spectacular fashion. Unfortunately for the final pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, those points vanished as quickly as they arrived when the Knicks took on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hukporti appeared destined for highlight reels and professional scorebooks after he accelerated down the lane off a feed from Mikal Bridges and dunked over Evan Mobley as the Knicks tried to stave off a late Cleveland rally.

Unfortunately for the crowd activated by the shot, Hukporti was charged with an offensive foul and was accused of flailing Mobley’s arms as he was about to dunk. The dramatic duo appeared to give the Knicks a one-possession deficit, but Cleveland instead took the ball back with 4:04 left and continued the process of wrapping up what had happened. 110-104 victory.

“(We were) looking at someone different to change that up,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hukporti’s inclusion. (h/t New York Basketball on X). “Their big is pretty dynamic. So we wanted to see what he looked like… I thought his minutes were solid.”

Hukporti played just under 12 minutes on Monday, grabbing two rebounds and denying Mobley in the fourth quarter. Despite his inexperience, he was the best in-field spell option when Karl-Anthony Towns needed a rest: Hukporti’s minutes more than doubled those of Knicks veteran Jericho Sims, who played just 3:48 in comparison.

Although Hukporti has been erased from the scoresheet, his early development is still inspiring: Thibodeau is often known to be stingy with giving minutes to young talent. 2020 lottery pick Obi Toppin’s situation was particularly glaring, leading to him committing to Indiana last offseason.

But the presence of freshman Hukporti in the final minutes marks an intriguing development in the early stages of the Knicks’ hopeful season.

Hukporti’s early promotion could be ruled out out of necessity: The Knicks already know they’ll be without rebounding powerhouses Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein, thanks to their moves to Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Dear Achiuwa, and Mitchell Robinson are each recovering from injuries.

Still, getting minutes from a veteran like Sims bodes well for his NBA career, especially in the treacherous early stages. A new opportunity could arise if the Knicks have to deal with the extended absence of Josh Hart, who left Monday’s game early with an ankle injury in the middle of his 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.

It remains to be seen whether the trends will continue to favor Hukporti as he returns to action Wednesday night against the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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