New York Knicks‘ do-it-all forward Josh Hart expressed his annoyance with the Philadelphia 76ers paying a heavy price for leaving him open from the 3-point line and daring him to shoot.
Hart scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including three crucial 3-pointers, aiding the Knicks in securing a 111-104 win in Game 1 of their NBA playoff series at Madison Square Garden on April 20.
“I expected to be left open, disrespected on the 3-point line, and given my shooting percentage in the regular season, around 30 percent, it's a wise game plan,” Hart informed reporters after tallying 22 points and 13 rebounds. “For me, it’s about continuing to take shots and earning respect from the three-point line.”
Early Misses Didn’t Deter Josh Hart’s Confidence
Hart only made 2 of 7 shots from the field and 1 of 4 from 3-point range prior to the final quarter. His series of 3-pointers began at the 5:08 mark after the Sixers closed the gap to 91-90. He extended the Knicks lead to 94-90. The Sixers persisted in daring him to shoot.
Hart complied.
His second 3-pointer in the fourth quarter gave the Knicks a 101-95 lead with 1:05 remaining. His last 3-pointer, securing a 107-100 Knicks lead, effectively sealed the Sixers’ fate with 60 seconds left.
Their strategy was to stay off of me,” Hart told ESPN’s sideline reporter Lisa Salters. That's why I put in a lot of practice this week, taking shot after shot, and the most important thing for me was to not lose that confidence after missing three or four [attempts]. I just kept shooting. I've been working on it. So I had to do it.”
Sixers’ Strategy
The Sixers took the risk because Hart’s 3-point shooting percentage this season is at a career-low 31%.
While Hart achieved an impressive 51.9% accuracy in his first 25 games with the Knicks last year after being acquired midseason, he struggled to replicate it this season.
His shooting difficulties were partly due to his role constantly changing from shooting guard to small forward and then power forward following the injuries to Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.
“Some days it’s about scoring, some days it’s about rebounding, some days it’s about playmaking,” Hart told reporters. “I think it didn't necessarily boost my confidence, but it might have given the team and the coaches more confidence in my ability to play a different role if needed.”
Now he’s primarily playing as a power forward with Randle out for the season. With his improved shooting, the Sixers may need to reconsider their strategy.
Crucial Element for Knicks
The Knicks’ outside shooting will be crucial in the series as the Sixers employ a 1-2-2 zone to limit Jalen Brunson’s drives.
In Game 1, they made 16 of 35 3-pointers.
Hart went 4 of 8 while Miles McBride and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for eight 3-pointers off the bench.
“We were mostly in a zone defense. But our strategy shifts — we are obviously aiming to guard specific players,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the defeat. “Credit to them. I think we were probably okay with some of those shots, but they made them. Credit to them for stepping up and making them.”
The Knicks will try to make it 2-0 when the series starts again on Monday, April 22, at the Garden.
