Knicks’ Josh Hart Finds Redemption With Narrative-Shifting Performance

In December 2024, Josh Hart said that he'd be collecting apology forms for everyone who doubted Mikal Bridges after his rough start in orange and blue. I officially submitted my Bridges apology two weeks ago. Today it’s time for me to submit my apology form for ever doubting the Hart and Soul of this glory era of New York Knicks basketball.

There were calls for his benching and a diminished role heading into Game 2, and I was one of them. He had been benched for the entirety of the New York Knicks comeback from 22 points down with 7 minutes and 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter in Game 1. The game didn’t turn until Landry Shamet checked in for Hart and opened the floor up.

The Cleveland Cavaliers begged Hart to let it fly from three during his 31 minutes. He made one of five shots from deep and was an unsightly -23 in what was an 11-point overtime win. Cleveland’s ability to leave Hart open on the perimeter while Jarrett Allen helped on everything inside destroyed the Knicks' spacing.

Hart taking and making shots unlocks the Knicks offense

For Game 2, Mike Brown ran back the same starting lineup, one that’s been a polarizing topic over the past two years despite all the winning. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s coach Kenny Atkinson was once again happy to funnel the ball to Hart and live with the results.

To start things off, the good part was Hart’s lack of hesitation to go down swinging. He took five of New York’s first 11 shots. He made one of them but missed his first three attempts from behind the arc. The Knicks trailed 17-11 by the first timeout.

The Knicks took a 53-49 lead into the locker room for halftime. Hart made two triples in the second quarter and became increasingly decisive on the catch. The freebies Atkinson was giving him finally started going down in the second half. That's when the game and Hart narrative shifted.

Hart let it fl — May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the first quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Hart finished the game with five makes from long range, including three of four in the second half. He made more 3’s alone than Max Strus, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, and Dennis Schroder combined. In the process, he recorded a playoff career-high 26 points, was the only Knick to crack 20 points and showed why it's silly to ever doubt him. Or to leave him wide open.

“That’s who Josh is," Brown told Kristian Winfield of the Daily News after. "He’s a gamer. He knows what changes he needs to make in order to be effective.”

You can cheat off him, but you can’t totally ignore him without eventually paying. Hart, unlike, say, Ausar Thompson, who the Cavaliers applied the same tactic to, is a capable shooter. The nine-year veteran shot a career-high 41.3% from long distance during the regular season despite playing the entire year with a heavily bandaged ring finger on his shooting hand.

Hart made Cavaliers' strategy backfire

The problem is that Hart gets in his head once in a while. He had connected on just 12 of 45 three-pointers during the first 11 playoff games. This is why the Cavs never adjusted from their defensive game plan of ignoring him. It’s also why they lost 109-93 and are now down two games to zero.

New York's starting unit wasn't a point of discussion this time around. In 25 minutes shared together, they recorded a 126.5 offensive rating and 104.3 defensive mark, per NBA.com. Sometimes analytics can't take into account things that aren't quantifiable.

“They’re like a lamppost to a drunk person," Hart, who credited his former Villanova coach Jay Wright for this gem, told Stefan Bondy of the NY Post. "You can lean on it but it won’t get you home.”

There's arguably no player in the league with more unquantifiable intangibles than Hart. The answer for making things easier was never about less of him. It was leaning on him.

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