In Jose Alvarado’s first four games with the Knicks, his offensive splits were much better in the two road games — both victories — than they were in the team’s two home losses at the Garden.
But the Brooklyn native enjoyed the first true MSG moment of his homecoming, helping spark the comeback from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a rousing 108-106 victory over the Rockets.
Alvarado was used by coach Mike Brown for significant minutes to help spark the team’s defensive revival 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’s always gonna [feel] amazing. It’s kind of like a pride thing I got,” Alvarado said after the game.“It’s like when I play for my national team [Puerto Rico] or my country, I’m playing for my hometown, and I’m always gonna have to represent on another level, and just compete.”
Alvarado’s New York roots and gritty two-way playing style figured to endear him immediately to the MSG crowds following a trade-deadline acquisition from the Pelicans.
The undrafted five-year veteran’s best of his first four appearances in a Knicks uniform easily was a 26-point eruption in 19 minutes — on 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range — in Wednesday’s road win over the 76ers. Alvarado also managed 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2-for 6 from deep) in a win in Boston in his team debut.
That represents a sharp contrast for the Christ the King High School product’s first two home games since his acquisition, with just 10 total points on 4-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The backup point guard, known as “Grand Theft Alvarado,” also totaled seven steals in the two road victories and just one in two home defeats.
“Just getting a real rhythm,” Alvarado said earlier this week. “Like I’ve said, it just comes with spending time with the guys and being around them and slowly getting it.
“But we’re passing 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 by 16 to start the fourth, but 3-pointers by Landry Shamet, Karl-Anthony Towns and Alvarado plus a putback slam by Mikal Bridges pulled the Knicks within six with about seven minutes to play.
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“Sometimes it’s not gonna be shots falling and you gotta do the little things, get steals, and do that,” Alvarado said. “But it’s always gonna be a different type of motor when I put that jersey on. I’m from here, and I gotta represent the best way I can.”
Alvarado then cut the deficit to two with a strip of Kevin Durant and a layup before Brunson eventually tied it with 1:27 remaining.
“[Assistant coach] Rick Brunson was the one that suggested throwing Jose in the game at the time, which was the right call,” Brown said. “We threw Jose in, and he gave us a spark on both ends of the floor.”
