Josh Hart had no issue putting his ego aside for the good of the team on Sunday night, helping the New York Knicks to a critical Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers.
With the Knicks looking to bounce back in the series, head coach Tom Thibodeau rolled out a revamped starting lineup: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson.
That meant Hart, who started all 77 games he played in during the regular season, shifted to a bench role. The change added size with Robinson alongside Towns and gave the Knicks a different look defensively. Despite the move, Hart remained unfazed because it was partially his idea.
“It was never going to be a tough day for me because I had a hand in that decision,” Hart said. “When I’m in a decision like that and kind of got the ball rolling on that, it was funny, y’all are scrambling, trying to get answers and I never really cared. Because it was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it.”
Josh Hart Still Logs Big Minutes in Game 3 Win
Hart still played 34 minutes off the bench and, while his scoring struggles against Indiana continued, he delivered in typical fashion, making gritty hustle plays and helping the Knicks erase a 20-point deficit.
“It really didn’t impact either guy from a minutes standpoint. So to me, when Mitch was coming off the bench, he’s a starter coming off the bench. When Josh comes off the bench, he’s a starter coming off the bench,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Their minutes are gonna be the same. And both guys mix and match. Both guys are comfortable with both units. The thing that I love about Josh is the unselfishness.”
Being on the winning end of the matchup also helped. The Knicks made the series 2-1 with the 106-100 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“It worked out pretty good,” Robinson said. “Once the game started, we had a nice little lead. Since I’m in that group right now, we kind of figured each other out.”
Knicks Star Jalen Brunson Praises Josh Hart for Move
The Knicks faced a solid chunk of adversity in the matchup. Some of that stemmed from Towns and Brunson being in foul trouble. Brunson played a playoff-low 31 minutes in Game 3. He had four fouls at the half.
Brunson still scored some big buckets late. He also praised Hart for setting an example with his selfless move.
“Josh wants to win. It shows who he is as a person, a player and a teammate,” Brunson said. “He doesn’t care for anything individual. He just wants to win. And so, it’s a true testament of a great teammate.”
The rotation changes went beyond Hart. Delon Wright and Landry Shamet saw significant time on the court and produced in those minutes. Neither saw time on the court during the first two games in the series.
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday in Indiana. The Knicks opened as a slight 2.5-point underdog, per ESPN BET.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Josh Hart Sends Clear Message on Removal From Knicks Starting Lineup appeared first on Heavy Sports.