In Jose Alvarado’s first four games with the Knicks, his offensive breakdown was better in two road games — both wins — than the team’s two home losses at the Garden.
But the Brooklyn native enjoyed MSG’s first true moment of his comeback, helping him come back from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 108-106 win over the Rockets.
Alvarado was used by coach Mike Brown for key minutes to help revitalize the team’s defense down the stretch, finishing with eight points, five steals and a plus-18 rating over 20 minutes off the bench, even earning José Reyes-style chants of “Jose, Jose, Jose” from the appreciative crowd.
“It will always be [feel] wonderful. It’s like the pride I got,” said Alvarado after the game. “It’s like I’m playing for my national team. [Puerto Rico] or my country, I’m playing for my hometown, and I’ll have to represent at another level, and just compete.”
Alvarado’s New York roots and two-way style of play proved to be an instant hit with the MSG crowd following the trade deadline acquisition from the Pelicans.
The five-year rookie’s streak in his first four games in a Knicks uniform was an outburst of 26 points in 19 minutes — on 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range — in Wednesday’s win over the 76ers. Alvarado also managed 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2-for-6 from deep) in a win over Boston in his team debut.
That represents a big difference in the Christ the King High School product’s first two home games since his buyout, with just 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The backup point guard, known as “Grand Theft Alvarado,” also tallied seven steals in two road wins and one of two home losses.
“Just finding a real rhythm,” Alvarado said earlier this week. “Like I said, it just comes from spending time with the guys and being around them and you get it little by little.
“But we’re getting over that, we’re in rhythm now so we’ve got a good stretch ahead of us and we’re trying to do something special here.”
Jalen Brunson was on the bench, and the Knicks were down 16 to start the fourth, but three pointers by Landry Shamet, Karl-Anthony Towns and Alvarado and a putback slam by Mikal Bridges pulled the Knicks within six with seven minutes to play.
“Sometimes it’s not going to be a shot and you have to do the little things, steal, do that,” Alvarado said. “But it’s going to be a different kind of engine when I put on that jersey. I’m coming out here, and I have to represent the best way I can.”
Alvarado then cut the deficit to two with a layup by Kevin Durant before Brunson tied it with 1:27 left.
“[Assistant coach] “Rick Brunson was the one who suggested throwing Jose in the game at that time, which was the right call,” Brown said.
