Jose Alvarado made the most of his first game with the Knicks.
He scored 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including a 2-for-6 clip from deep, over 25 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 111-89 win over the Celtics in Boston.
"He was great," New York captain and star guard Jalen Brunson said. "The impact he had on the game right away was amazing, it's what we needed and just happy to see him wearing the blue and orange."
Alvarado added two steals and a block as the Knicks (34-19) made a statement against the Celtics (34-19) on the road.
"That's him," New York wing Josh Hart said of Alvarado, whom he played alongside during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021-22 when Alvarado was a rookie. "You know he'll be a really good on-ball defender, take the challenge, a great secondary ballhandler for us, be able to play-make, in the paint and pressure, so what you got from today is the player you'll get."
The Knicks landed Alvarado from New Orleans in a trade before this past Thursday's deadline.
"He brings a level of toughness to this team, his energy is unmatched," New York head coach Mike Brownsaid before Sunday's game. "What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the front court with the ball especially on the pick-and-rolls and stuff, is at a pretty high level.
"He shoots it better than people think, too. We want to play fast and we believe he's a guy who will come in and push the pace, get into our offense, and all of that because he’s quick and has a low center of gravity -- excited to have him."