Jose Alvarado calls Knicks’ debut with MSG ‘one for the books’

Jose Alvarado grew up playing the game in Brooklyn and starred at Christ the King HS in Queens.

So when he heard the Madison Square Garden crowd applaud as he homered late in the first quarter in his first home appearance as a Knick, it shocked him.

“It’s different,” Alvarado said. “Playing for the Knicks is great, but I’m literally a kid from the same streets as the fans, and to be a part of everything here, it’s a blessing. It’s something I had to get used to and get out of the way. Let’s start with the ball.”

As for the reaction itself, Alvarado said, “It was amazing. Being a kid from the city, and for the city to show me its love for me, it’s amazing. I can’t really explain it.”

Naturally, the result was far from ideal, as the Knicks suffered their worst loss this season. Overtime failure 137-134 against the awful Pacers. Alvarado finished with just four points in 18:13, although he had five assists.

“It’s not the result we wanted, but I’ll tell you this, it was a blessing to be there. I can’t wait to keep growing and getting better,” Alvarado said.

He had a large section of fans on hand. When asked how many people were in his group, Alvarado said: “A lot.”

“I was definitely nervous today,” the point guard said. “There was a lot going on. I was happy I went out like that. I can’t wait to come back and get better and win some games here.”

And while the former Christ the King star had some good moments, he was far from his best, as the Knicks couldn’t stay away.

After leading the Knicks to a convincing win in Boston on Sunday, Alvarado didn’t register his presence until 2:05 remaining in the first quarter.

Coming out of a Knicks timeout, Alvarado entered to a standing ovation with the team trailing by one point.

It didn’t take long for Alvarado to make an impact, first saving Jalen Brunson on a turnover and then assisting on Brunson’s 3-pointer later in the possession. He also dove into the stands to save another possession.

But in the end there were too many mistakes made by Alvarado and his teammates.

However, there will undoubtedly be better moments for Alvarado in his hometown.

“It’s always great for him to come home. To have that happen when Nick takes it to another level,” said Joe Arbitello, Alvarado’s high school coach at Christ the King, before a game in his former player’s days with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Arbetillo was among the fans who supported Alvarado, an atmosphere in which the coach believes Alvarado will thrive, even if that was not the case on Tuesday.

“I think it will be great here, just like always,” Arbetello said.

But unlike some other players who may play with extra intensity in front of their home fans, Arbetello said it may be different for the New York native.

“He will remain the same player he has always been,” Arbetello said. “He will play with the same toughness that we saw from him every day in every match and in every training.”

So, Park Lights won’t replace its former star?

“It doesn’t matter where he is,” Arbetello said. “He could be at the park or at one of the fun games. He’s going to be the same guy and he’s going to play as hard as he can.”

Which is why Arbitello is among the people who believe he will excel as a Knick and earn praise from the Garden faithful.

“If he plays like he did in New Orleans or anywhere else he’s been before and he does it here, I think he’ll be a fan favorite,” Arbetello said. “He brings what New York fans love: toughness, toughness, winning basketball. We’ve seen that for years, and for him to come here, he’s going to be electric.”