While Tuesday’s Game 5 showdown between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers ultimately resulted in a massive blowout win in favor of the home team, there was absolutely no shortage of action throughout the testy encounter.
At one point, Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein got involved in a heated altercation with Pacers center Isaiah Jackson. Both players, as well as Alec Burks, got issued with technical fouls for their role in the fracas.
New York Knicks News: Isaiah Hartenstein Confronts Isaiah Jackson After Brutal Donte DiVincenzo Hit
The problem started when Jackson clobbered Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo with what was later assessed as an illegal screen. Hartenstein was right in front of the action and he clearly did not appreciate Jackson’s antics. The Knicks big man immediately let Jackson know about it:
Isaiah Jackson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alec Burks pic.twitter.com/3FSnhvtUlC
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 15, 2024
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and the incident did not escalate after the heated confrontation.
Isaiah Hartenstein Speaks Out on Incident
After the game, Hartenstein explained why he acted the way he did during that moment. According to the 7-foot center, he will always stand up for his teammates:
“They’re also family to me. If something happens to them, it doesn’t matter what kind of situation it is, I’m always going to stick up for them,” Hartenstein said.
Isaiah Hartenstein talks about getting in Isaiah Jackson's face and standing up for Donte DiVincenzo and his teammates:
"They're also family to me. If something happens to them, it doesn't matter what kind of situation it is, I'm always going to stick up for them." pic.twitter.com/3mqnfh6PG2
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2024
You can be sure that there’s going to be even more bad blood between these two teams come Game 6 on Friday.
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