Jose Alvarado Delivers Solid Debut In Knicks’ Win Over Celtics

Jalen Brunson may not have to do it all by himself in the backcourt for the Knicks.

The team got a promising debut out of recent trade addition Jose Alvarado in his New York debut in Sunday's convincing win over Boston, a 111-89 road cakewalk at TD Garden. Alvarado came off the bench to score 12 points, his highest output since Dec. 4, on 5-for-12 shooting (41.7%). He filled out the box score with two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.

Alvarado scored seven of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Celtics at bay, as their own shots started to fall. His signature moment may have come on defense, when he grabbed a steal on Jaylen Brown then laid it in, turning a potential nine- or 10-point game into a 14-point game.

The Knicks' newest guard is certainly off to a good start. It's possible that, with what could be an uptick in minutes as a key reserve guard right behind Brunson on the depth chart, Alvarado could enjoy some of the most productive basketball of his career in New York.