The Knicks will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the NBA Cup semifinals for the first time in the tournament’s three-year history. Josh Hart Played a big role in Tuesday’s win over the Raptors.
although Jaylen BrunsonThe offensive outburst – especially in the first quarter – will be the headline story of this win, with Hart’s contributions on both sides of the floor huge.
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Hart scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting (4-of-7 three-pointers), 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
It was a well-rounded performance that usually goes under the radar, but one that stood out on Tuesday.
Although the head coach Mike Brown Brunson scored 20 points in the first quarter to get the team out of trouble as the Raptors held the Raptors to 39 points, and it was after that point that Hart began to shine. Hart, who scored seven points in the opening quarter and two in just seven minutes in the second quarter, made the Raptors defense pay for double-teaming Brunson.
Hart went 3-for-4 from the field, including 2-for-3 from downtown, helping the Knicks stay ahead after a pesky Raptors attempt to mount a run.
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“They kept making plays and people kept leaving him open because they were trying to get fives against them,” Brown said of Hart’s shot after the win. “He can shoot it a little bit, but he works really hard, so it’s no surprise to us that he’s shooting it so well.”
Brown praised other players on the floor for finding Hart when the defense left him open, but also praised Hart’s ability to knock down open shots.
The first-year Knicks coach and Hart have had an interesting relationship this season. After Hart started the season with an injury, Brown started the season with Hart as a backup while trying different combinations of players. when Og Anunoby After missing time due to injury, Hart stepped into the starting lineup at the request of the Browns coaching staff and has been successful.
Tuesday marked Hart’s ninth straight start, scoring in double figures in seven of those games as the team went 8-1 during that stretch.
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As Brown continues to learn more about his players, he said comparing Hart to former champions makes his job easier.
“I tell you what, he reminds me of Andre Iguodala In a sense, if you don’t really understand basketball, it’s hard to really appreciate their game,” Brown explained. “Sometimes we look at him and you might think, well, he’s not really this, he’s not that, he can’t do this anymore. Quite the opposite is true. They can do everything. Josh can do it all.
“There are some things he does at an elite level and there are some things he does really well. That’s Josh. He does everything you want him to do, not only offensively but defensively. Defense, one to five, and so on. The same goes for the offense. He does some things at an elite level, and some things at a pretty good level. When you have a player with an IQ like Andre or Josh, man, good things are going to happen. “It makes your job as a head coach easier for your entire team. “