SAN ANTONIO — It was classic Josh Hart: impacting the game without scoring.
After being limited to seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Hart left his imprint on Game 1 of the NBA Finals in a major way, providing major contributions in the Knicks’ come-from-behind, 105-95 win at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night.
In the second half, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 17 points, and Hart played a major role. He rebounded like a madman (15 boards), created for his teammates (six assists) and defended (four steals). It seemed like he was in the right spot during every Knicks run, particularly on the defensive end. He finished with a team-best plus-22 rating in 27 minutes despite shooting 1-for-5 from the field.
“That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Jalen Brunson, his longtime teammate dating back to college, said. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
Hart was frustrated with himself in the first half, faulting himself for committing dumb and unnecessarily fouls. With Hart on the bench, the Knicks trailed by seven at halftime. It was a different story over the final 24 minutes.
“I had a lot of energy. I think I only played like seven minutes in the first half,” Hart said. “I knew I had to come out, be aggressive. It was just come in and inject energy.”
He certainly helped the Knicks, who rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to extend their franchise-record playoff win streak to 12. Hart has been a key element to this run. On Wednesday, he proved to be pivotal without scoring. As Brunson alluded to, he has a knack for excelling at whatever his team needs.
