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A day after being benched during a miraculous Game 1 comeback victory, Josh Hart embraced the idea of a role change for the betterment of his team in Thursday’s Game 2.
At first, it appeared that would be the right call.
Hart started Game 2 0-for-4 and walked to the Knicks bench visibly disappointed with his own performance during a media timeout.
However, head coach Mike Brown kept Hart in his usual rotation — and it was the right decision because Hart turned out to be the best player in the Knicks’ 109-93 Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He went from unplayable to un-benchable in 48 hours.
So good that Brown couldn’t find minutes for Game 1 hero Landry Shamet in place of Hart. He checked out of Game 2 for the final time with the Madison Square Garden crowd roaring in ovation.
Hart turned his fortune around by knocking down his first trey of the night at the 3:27 mark of the second quarter after misfiring the previous three attempts.
The next bucket was the highlight of Hart’s first half.
OG Anunoby passed the ball to Hart on right wing, Hart then took a strong left-handed dribble before spinning right on Cavs rim protector Jarrett Allen and he finished with a right-handed layup.
Then came Hart’s stamp on the game — a spurt that solidified his role for at least another Eastern Conference Finals game.
Twelve third-quarter points contributed to the Knicks winning the period, 32-21. It also padded Hart’s most impressive statline of the 2026 postseason: 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
He helped spark an 18-0 Knicks run that eventually doomed the Cavaliers. He played his role as Knicks Army Knife by also running the floor and finding teammates for good looks. Ultimately, he stayed on the floor to secure a 2-0 series lead.
Hart appeared to feel some discomfort in his left foot after planting it on the hardwood midway through the third quarter. But you couldn’t even tell if affected him while knocking down two more three-pointers and dishing another assist afterwards.
Hart started the fourth quarter, but rested after two minutes later as Brown subbed him out for Mitchell Robinson. Shamet stayed on the floor, but was later replaced less then three minutes after.
Brown needed his best player of the night back on the floor.
And Brown will need this same Game 2 version of Hart in hopes of booking the Knicks to an NBA Finals.
Continue reading...
At first, it appeared that would be the right call.
Hart started Game 2 0-for-4 and walked to the Knicks bench visibly disappointed with his own performance during a media timeout.
However, head coach Mike Brown kept Hart in his usual rotation — and it was the right decision because Hart turned out to be the best player in the Knicks’ 109-93 Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He went from unplayable to un-benchable in 48 hours.
So good that Brown couldn’t find minutes for Game 1 hero Landry Shamet in place of Hart. He checked out of Game 2 for the final time with the Madison Square Garden crowd roaring in ovation.
Hart turned his fortune around by knocking down his first trey of the night at the 3:27 mark of the second quarter after misfiring the previous three attempts.
The next bucket was the highlight of Hart’s first half.
OG Anunoby passed the ball to Hart on right wing, Hart then took a strong left-handed dribble before spinning right on Cavs rim protector Jarrett Allen and he finished with a right-handed layup.
Then came Hart’s stamp on the game — a spurt that solidified his role for at least another Eastern Conference Finals game.
Twelve third-quarter points contributed to the Knicks winning the period, 32-21. It also padded Hart’s most impressive statline of the 2026 postseason: 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
He helped spark an 18-0 Knicks run that eventually doomed the Cavaliers. He played his role as Knicks Army Knife by also running the floor and finding teammates for good looks. Ultimately, he stayed on the floor to secure a 2-0 series lead.
Hart appeared to feel some discomfort in his left foot after planting it on the hardwood midway through the third quarter. But you couldn’t even tell if affected him while knocking down two more three-pointers and dishing another assist afterwards.
Hart started the fourth quarter, but rested after two minutes later as Brown subbed him out for Mitchell Robinson. Shamet stayed on the floor, but was later replaced less then three minutes after.
Brown needed his best player of the night back on the floor.
And Brown will need this same Game 2 version of Hart in hopes of booking the Knicks to an NBA Finals.
Continue reading...
