After decades of watching the New York Knicks lose their winning culture, watching them get back-to-back win’s this season hasn’t been an easy pill to digest. However, as surprising as it is, it is also amazing as the man behind this is Austin Rivers. Making his debut with the Knicks, he is already drawing a lot of attention. In fact, he has also caught Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade‘s eye.
Rivers’ contribution became most evident when he was a part of the Houston Rockets for two years. So, when the Knicks signed him, fans were relieved because they were certain that he would add some much-needed outside shooting and also bring in off-the-dribble creation.
After just playing a few games for this franchise, it looks like they have found the veteran that will help them build back a better culture in the team. When the Knicks played against the Raptors on New Year’s eve, they had suffered a disappointing 100-83 loss. But the way he led the following game against the Pacers and crushed them was a sight to watch.
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Dwyane Wade impressed with Austin Rivers
It was like something took over Austin in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz. Finishing with 23 points under his belt, he actually dropped 14 consecutive points for the Knicks and defeated them 112-100.
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With Julius Randle’s 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists, the Knicks overcome an 18 point deficit from the second half. This was their second come back after a big deficit. He may not be their lead scorer, but if he hadn’t shown up in the last five minutes of the game, where the two were tied at 96, this would have been a loss for them.
Seeing this Wade showed his support for the man and wrote, “I see you bro. Closer!!!”. It’s likely that by ‘Closer’ he actually means that Rivers is near to taking his game to the next level.
@AustinRivers25 I see you bro🔥Closer!!!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 7, 2021
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The Knicks are looking great in the season so far. They stand fifth in the East with a 5-2 record. Watching Rivers play, is it too soon to say that the Knicks might make it to the playoffs since 2013? Or do they still have a long way to go before they become title contenders in this competitive East?