Entering the playoffs with his hair braided into the New York Yankees logo, Josh Hart stepped onto the field and made his presence known Saturday night. Game 1 of the NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers went to the Knicks, and most of that was due to Hart’s performance.
Hart finished the game with a double-double, scoring 22 points (the same as Jalen Brunson, who started slowly) and 13 rebounds. More importantly, Hart was at his best in the fourth quarter, when the Knicks needed it most, hitting a pair of three-pointers that gave New York the lead.
Questions about Hart’s consistency floated going into this game. He had an up-and-down season, plagued by shooting problems, particularly with triples. But Hart said he prepared for this game differently before tip-off, constantly working on his shots.
“The last two games of the regular season, the game plan was to just wear me down,” Hart said. “So it’s something that this week I did a lot of reps, I shot, I shot, I shot. And the biggest thing for me, after losing three or four, I haven’t lost that confidence.