The 106-100. That’s significant because of the stature of the Magic. It is also significant because it was done without Karl-Anthony Towns. Knicks coach Mike Brown criticizes Towns Towns is undoubtedly an All-Star. Thus, getting a win against a playoff-bound opponent without him is worth celebrating. And the team’s reserves deserve much of the credit, especially their reserve big men.

Mitchell Robinson — their only other center with any tangible experience (besides cities). Ariel Huckporty showed flashes. But he appeared in just 40 games over the past two seasons.

Granted, the Knicks have gotten by without Towns, barely. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games without a seven-pointer, dating back to December 2024. But Sunday was the first time he sat out this season. Thankfully, the team’s center rotation stepped up in a big way.

Unsurprisingly, Robinson led the way in the front court. While he’s not a full-time reserve, he needed to do a little more given Towns’ absence. And that didn’t seem to be a problem.

Robinson was incredible. Most importantly, he spent a good amount to prove his doubters wrong, playing a season-high 24:35 minutes. He still had his typical impact despite the extended minutes, 13 rebounds – eight of which were offensive – one steal and one block. It’s an incredibly solid job, especially considering the slightly higher than normal workload. And enough can’t be said about Robinson’s work on the offensive glass. It’s historically great.

However, the big reserve of the Knicks was not only Robinson. Ariel Huckporty did his part and then some. He had six points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks in 23 minutes. Huckporty also went 4-4 from the free throw line, which is a big relief given Robinson’s struggles from the charity stripe.

Gershon Yabusele also had eight points and two rebounds in 11 minutes. Jabusele’s value comes from his ability to stretch the floor, which is dramatically different from Robinson or Huckporty. He converted two of his three 3-point attempts, which gives the Knicks good spacing when he’s on the court.

While none of them, except for Robinson, have done anything to write home about, the sum of the parts is quite the sum. They combined to form a formidable frontcourt that was missing its best player. And they led the Knicks by outscoring the hard-charging Magic 52-48—without the league’s second-leading rebounder. It is a significant advance in an area that needed attention.

Granted, New York’s big men did what most winning frontcourts do. They fought back and defended themselves. But a Knicks team without Towns is unpredictable at best, with a frontcourt that usually struggles to make free throws and stay out of foul trouble. That was not the case on Sunday. And while the Knicks’ frontcourt reserves have looked mostly unreliable this season, they looked oddly comfortable against the Magic.

Sunday could become a regular occurrence with Robinson, Hookporty and Jabusele contributing regularly. Maybe Brown found a good spot for Robinson’s minutes. Maybe Hookporty figured out how to make an impact. And maybe Iabusele is rounding into form. Whatever it is, it worked. And that type of result, especially when Towns comes back and plays well, can be the difference. It gives Brown significantly more options, picking and choosing frontcourt pairings.

Backup center was a position the Knicks needed to address, given their commitment to being cautious with Robinson and his complicated injury history. But they may not need to act with such urgency now, given how their reserves have just played. Of course, the Knicks’ front office would prefer to base decisions that could affect their 2025-26 championship aspirations on more information, but their frontcourt reserves offered a glimmer of hope. It’s at least worth a closer look. And maybe in the end it will be enough.