Knicks Star Doesn't Care if He Starts vs. Pacers

The New York Knicks had a star guard come off the bench for the first time this season in Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers.

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart drives to the hoop past Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Josh Hart started in all 77 of the appearances he made for the New York Knicks this season and the first 14 playoff games as well, but things were different in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

Hart came off the bench for the first time all season, and the move appeared to pay off as the Knicks beat the Pacers 106-100 to cut Indiana's series lead in half.

Rumors of a lineup change were percolating after Game 2, and Thibodeau confirmed it when the Knicks started Game 3 as Mitchell Robinson replaced Hart in the first five, but that didn't bother the selfless New York forward one bit.

“It wasn’t a tough day,” Hart said via The Athletic insider Fred Katz.

“It was funny, everyone was saying things to me (about it). Guys were texting me on other teams. I’m like, brah, I don’t care. I don’t care if I start. I don’t care if I play 20 minutes. If we win, we win.”

And the Knicks came out on top, so Hart is happy. Despite coming off the bench, Hart ended up playing 34 minutes, which ranked third on the team behind Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, who each appeared in 37 minutes for the Knicks.

It remains to be seen if Hart will continue coming off the bench for the Knicks, but he has his eyes on one prize.

“Whoever won the championship five years ago, you have no idea who the starters are,” Hart said. “You know that those guys won and they have that camaraderie and that connection for life.

“It doesn’t matter how many points you score. It doesn’t matter how many minutes you play. It doesn’t matter if you start. It depends on if you win. And at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing for me.”

Hart and the Knicks will look to keep their momentum going in Game 4 against the Pacers.

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