Knicks reserves flash potential in Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence vs. Magic

The New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic on Sunday 106-100. That’s significant because of the stature of the Magic. It’s also significant because it was done without Karl-Anthony Towns. Knicks’ coach Mike Brown is critical of Towns when he doesn’t show up or gets distracted—but that’s because of the impact he can have when properly locked in. Towns in undoubtedly an All-Star. Thus, getting a win against a playoff-bound opponent without him is worth celebrating. And the team’s reserves deserve much of the credit, especially their reserve big men.

The Knicks are relatively thin at the center position. They are even more hindered than meets the eye when you consider how careful they are with Mitchell Robinson —their only other center with any tangible experience (other than Towns). Ariel Hukporti has shown flashes. But he’s appeared in only 40 games across the past two seasons.

Granted, the Knicks have gotten by without Towns, barely. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games without the seven-footer, which dates back to December 2024. But Sunday was the first time he’s sat out this season. Thankfully, the team’s center rotation stepped up in a big way.

Knicks center rotation stepped up in Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence

Unsurprisingly, Robinson led the way in the front court. While he’s not a full-time reserve, he needed to do a little more given Towns’s absence. And that didn’t seem to be a problem.

Robinson was incredible. Most importantly, he proved a good amount to his doubters wrong, playing a season-high 24:35 minutes. And he still had his typical impact despite extended minutes, 13 rebounds—eight of which were offensive—one steal, and one block. That’s incredibly solid work, especially given the slightly heavier-than-normal workload. And enough can’t be said about Robinson’s work on the offensive glass. It’s historically great.

The Knicks’ reserve bigs were about more than just Robinson, though. Ariel Hukporti did his part and then some. He tallied six points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks in 23 minutes. Hukporti also went 4-4 from the free-throw line, which is a major relief considering Robinson’s struggles from the charity stripe.

Guerschon Yabusele also chipped in eight points and two rebounds in 11 minutes. Yabusele’s value stems from his ability to stretch the floor, which is dramatically different than that of Robinson or Hukporti. He converted two of his three 3-point attempts, which provides good floor spacing for the Knicks when he’s on the court.

While none of them, other than Robinson, did anything to write home about, the sum of the parts is considerable. They combined to form a formidable front court that was missing its best player. And they spearheaded the Knicks out-rebounding the gritty Magic 52-48—without the league’s second-leading rebounder. That’s meaningful progress in an area that needed attention.

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Granted, the New York big men did what most winning front courts do. They rebounded and defended. But a Towns-less Knicks team is unpredictable at best, with its front court usually struggling to convert free throws and remain out of foul trouble. That was not the case on Sunday. And while the Knicks’ front-court reserves have looked mostly untrustworthy this season, they looked unusually comfortable against the Magic.

Sunday could become a common occurrence with Robinson, Hukporti, and Yabusele all contributing regularly. Maybe Brown has found a sweet spot for Robinson’s minutes. Maybe Hukporti has figured out how to have an impact. And maybe Yabusele is rounding into form. Whatever it is, it worked. And that type of output, especially with Towns back and playing well, can be a differentiator. It provides Brown with significantly more options, picking and choosing front-court pairings.

Backup center was a position the Knicks had to address, considering their commitment to being careful with Robinson and his complicated injury history. But they might not have to act as urgently now, given how their reserves just played. Of course, the Knicks front office would prefer to base decisions that could impact their 2025-26 championship aspirations on more information, but their front-court reserves provided a glimmer of hope. That’s at least worth a closer look. And maybe it ends up being enough.

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