Isaiah Hartenstein hoping for fairy tale of New York in Christmas Day showdown

ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN hopes a Christmas crowd in New York can lift the Knicks to a festive win.

The Knicks take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first of five NBA games on Christmas Day.

The holiday is one of the biggest days in the NBA calendar and the Knicks will kick it off at Madison Square Garden.

Hartenstein, 24, remembers growing up in Germany and watching the festive grudge games.

He told The Sun: "It's a special day. I've played on Christmas before but especially here in New York I think it's going to be a great experience.

"Growing up watching, we would stay up and watch it overseas in Germany.

"You see a lot of Christmas movies and stuff in New York.

"It's always a great blessing to play on Christmas Day and to be in New York."

The Knicks take on rivals the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

They went on an eight-game win streak in December but lost their last two and face a stern challenge with Joel Embiid in town.

Hartenstein won't be rolling out a welcome mat for the MVP candidate on Christmas Day.

He said: "You got an MVP candidate on their team so it's going to be a great challenge.

"Joel Embiid coming in, it's going to be a special game and a fun game.

"They're only a three-hour drive, so it's kind of a rivalry for both fan bases.