The heart of New York is the owner of two hearts.
The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 130-121 in Game 2 of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA, on Monday night.
New York improves to 2-0 in the best-of-seven series and advances to the Conference Finals.
The Knicks dominated Indiana with tremendous firepower, as three players – OG Anunoby, Jaylen Brunson, and Dante DiVincenzo – scored 28 points or more. New York is known for its defense, but its offense shined in this game.
The Knicks are currently running a seven-man rotation that utilizes seven different players. They used an eight-man rotation in the first round, but after injuries to Bogdan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson, they’ve been using a seven-man rotation.
NBA teams typically utilize a nine- or 10-man rotation, and even in the playoffs, they only use an eight-man rotation. New York’s seven-man rotation is extreme.
The minutes played by the three main players, Brunson, Josh Hart, and Anunoby, are extraordinary. Brunson is averaging 42.4 minutes, Hart is averaging 46.8 minutes, and Anunoby is averaging 40 minutes.
Hart’s minutes are phenomenal. His average of 46.8 minutes means he’s playing full-time most of the time.
What’s even more surprising is that Hart’s playstyle is a physical one. Hart’s best attributes are his activity, rebounding, hustle, and dirty work. These plays are relatively physical. However, Hart is able to keep New York’s energy level up throughout the fourth quarter with his tirelessness.
Hart is not just an unsung hero for New York. In the playoffs, he’s more of a protagonist. When Brunson is silenced by opposing defenses, it’s Hart who unleashes the offense. He has decent dribbling skills and has been able to shoot the three-pointer, which has been a weakness in the playoffs.
On defense, he’s able to switch between opposing guards and forwards. Coach Tom Thibodeau has used Hart at the 1 through 4 positions on defense. One of her specialties is rebounding after defense to create fast breaks.
With so many roles, it’s easy to see why the team can’t 먹튀검증 afford to leave him out. In both offense and defense, New York”s performance is much different with or without him.
Hart doesn’t want to rest either. “I want to play all 48 minutes,” he said in an interview, “and I’d rather be out there than on the bench. Most NBA players would rather play than rest, but most players tire out on the court after 40 minutes. Hart, on the other hand, is fresh for the entire fourth quarter. He keeps his word on the court.
New York wins Game 2, but it comes at a cost. Midway through the third quarter, Anunoby went to the locker room with an injury and was taken out of the game. Later reports indicated that Anunoby would miss Game 3.
It’s another absence for New York, which is already utilizing a seven-man rotation. The pressure on Hart just got a lot heavier.
When asked if his role will change with Anunoby’s injury, Hart said, “My role is the same. I’m still going to play the full 48 minutes,” he said.
For New York and Thibodeau, Hart is invaluable, but it would be a shame to see him lose him to this kind of abuse. The question is whether Hart’s performance will continue to be consistent.
