Porzingis got off to a very slow start and ended up putting up pedestrian numbers with 14 points and eight rebounds. He struggled shooting the ball, going 6-of-17 and hitting just one of his seven three-point attempts.
But, most importantly, it was his team that came away with the win.
Afterwards, Porzingis said the reaction from the crowd was something he knew was coming.
“The reaction was what I expected again, of course,” Porzingis said. “I’m happy we got the win. We lost the two [games] last season, and tonight we grinded this game and got the W against them. They’re a tough team and they played really good defense on me and on us in general.
“Just overall, a tough game, a grinding game, and it’s good to come up with a win against a tough team like the Knicks.”
Derrick Rose, who played with Porzingis in New York in 2016-17, admitted that it was a bit strange to hear the fans who used to adore Porzingis shower him with boos Friday, but he also understands the fans’ viewpoint.
“To be honest, yeah [it is weird]. But when you think about the situation, it wasn’t an easy situation for both sides, with him wanting to leave and them, the fans, feeling like they put their all into him by supporting him,” Rose said.
“I get it. I was in a similar situation when I left Chicago. People felt like it was me. Not to talk too much about it, but yeah, I get both sides.”
The Knicks and Mavericks will meet for the second time this season on April 16, though Knicks fans will have to boo from afar with the game taking place in Dallas.
