NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Sometimes athletes surprise you with their performance, and Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo has certainly done that.
He was drafted in the first round, 17th overall, of the 2018 NBA Draft after helping the Villanova Wildcats win a national championship. He lasted three-plus seasons in Milwaukee before being traded to Sacramento. He hit free agency and signed with Golden State, where he averaged slightly over 9 points per game.
When DiVincenzo signed with the Knicks, nobody would have expected this. He has played 70 games, starting 52 of them. He is averaging almost 15 points per game and is shooting 40% from behind the arc.
Monday night, he scored 40 points, hitting 11 three-pointers, and his legend continues to grow. His 11 three-pointers are the Knicks all-time record for a single game. He is just 8 three-pointers away from breaking the Knicks single-season record, which ironically enough is held by Evan Fournier.
When the Knicks signed DiVincenzo this past July to a 4-year $50 million contract, nobody expected this. We knew he was a winning player. He joined his former Villanova teammates, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson. You knew he would buy into the culture and coaching of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
You knew from his Villanova days that he was a gamer and would raise his level of play when the game or opponent called for it. But with all of that, he was a rotational piece. He has been pressed into more of a central role with injuries to OG Anunoby and Julius Randle and he has responded.
He played 41 minutes last night and dropped in 40 points, a new career high, and his legend and connection to the Knicks faithful continue to grow and rightfully so. He fed off the emotion of the crowd last night and gave us all a night to remember.
Hats off to Donte DiVincenzo.
Until next time, New York, I'm Marc Malusis.
