The New York Knicks took a 2-0 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers after a huge Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Josh Hart led the way for the Knicks, finishing with 26 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Speaking to reporters after their 109-93 loss, Donovan Mitchell commented on Hart’s impact for the Knicks and compared it to Alex Caruso‘s for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mitchell explained how they tried to leave Hart open and hoped that he wouldn’t knock his shots down.
“Sometimes you got to tip your cap,” Mitchell said, via ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill. “Not comparing the players, but you see a similar situation in the other series. And with Caruso, they’re guarding him kind of the same way. So I’m not saying he’s him or whatever or vice versa, but you just got to adjust, and we’ll look at the film and figure out ways to adjust.”
Just like Caruso, Hart is tasked at slowing down the Cavaliers’ best players and knocking down open shots. Caruso has done a wonderful job for the Thunder in the first two games, averaging 24.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks. He has been their second-best player in the series behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Meanwhile, Hart is putting up 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals against the Cavs heading into Game 3.
Mike Brown Praises Josh Hart
In his postgame media availability, Knicks coach Mike Brown had nothing but praise for Josh Hart following his Game 2 performance. Brown mentioned Hart’s mentality, and he even expects him to be better in the next game in Cleveland.
“It’s just who Josh is,” Brown said, via The Athletic’s Michael Charles. “He’s a gamer. He knew what he had to do in terms of the adjustments he needed to make in order to be effective, not just for himself but for the team, and he was great, really decisive. Not only that, he helped us get out in transition, and we have to play fast.”
The coach added, “He knows the work that he puts in, and his confidence is not going to waver. He’s going to put pressure on himself to take that next one and make the next one.”
Game 3 of the Knicks-Cavaliers series shifts to Cleveland on Saturday. It’s a familiar story for the Cavs since they were also down 2-0 in the second round against the Detroit Pistons before they came back and finished them in seven games.
Josh Hart Gets Compared to Andre Iguodala
While Donovan Mitchell likened Josh Hart to Alex Caruso, Mike Brown went further by comparing his player to Andre Iguodala. Brown was the associate coach of the Golden State Warriors for six seasons, helping them win three NBA championships, so he knows what he’s talking about.
“Andre’s a hell of a player,” Brown said, via Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Devine. “I mean, he’s a great player, and he does so many little things that if you’re not careful, you won’t appreciate them. And it’s the same with Josh. He does so many little things that don’t show up in the box score.”
The Knicks are inching closer to their goal of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Knicks’ Josh Hart Gets Compared to Alex Caruso After Game 2 Heroics vs Cavaliers