ATLANTA — There are so many reasons to believe the best is yet to come.
You can start with the Knicks’ historic 140-89 Game 6 clincher in Atlanta, capping a pitch-perfect three-game response to devastating back-to-back one-point losses that put their season in jeopardy.
There is OG Anunoby, emerging alpha.
And Karl-Anthony Towns, shooting less than ever but making as great an impact as ever.
And Mikal Bridges, coming off his best game in months.
And Josh Hart, willing to trade a limb for a loose ball.
And Jalen Brunson, among the sport’s elite closers.
But there is also more depth than the reserve unit — featuring Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride — provided in the Knicks’ breakthrough to last year’s conference finals, following the additions of Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado.
“We know how good the bench is and how good the team is,” Alvarado said this week. “We go out there and be ourselves and try to boost the energy. Whatever the team needs, the bench tries to provide that.”
Late in the regular season, Clarkson — who signed a one-year deal with the Knicks in July — was out of the rotation, barely resembling the former Sixth Man of the Year.
Alvarado — who was acquired on Feb. 5 from New Orleans — also recently seemed to lose his spot, as he was benched in Game 1 against the Hawks.
But the two veteran guards both provided much-needed sparks in the first round, giving Mike Brown’s roster increased flexibility against the Celtics or 76ers in the second round.
Alvarado, 28, made the most of his limited time, pestering the Hawks with his relentless defense, while rediscovering the shot that temporarily caused Brown to lose trust in the New York City native.
In the final three games of the series, Alvarado scored 21 points with five assists, five steals and a plus-24 rating, finishing the series 5-of-10 on 3-pointers, while ranking first on the Knicks in steal percentage (5.3) and third in assist percentage (22.0).
Clarkson posted a plus-48 rating while playing 48 minutes in the past three games, attacking the paint, the glass and ball-handlers with urgency that had largely been unseen.
The 33-year-old led all Knicks reserves in scoring (7.7) in the series, while ranking second on the team in offensive rebounding percentage (11.5) and second in turnover percentage (4.4) despite the second-highest usage rate among rotation players.
“[Being out of the rotation is] definitely challenging, but I’ve been in the league for 12 years. I know how it goes,” Clarkson said. “Just continue to stay ready. There’s a locker room of young guys and other people, watching me and seeing how I react to those things. Set an example for them. Continue to stay locked in. … Just wait for my opportunity to go out there and play. Everybody setting that example and having everybody ready is big for the team.”
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