Josh Hart spoke on Thursday, June 4, ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, focusing heavily on teammate Jalen Brunson and the team’s identity after a Game 1 win.
On Brunson’s growing reputation, Hart said, “I don’t know. As a friend, you’re happy he’s getting recognition. I think he’s still underrated in the league and he keeps proving people wrong game by game, series by series, playoff appearance by playoff appearance. So, as a friend and a teammate, it’s just funny because you know he’s one of the best players in the league and you’re happy that he’s starting to get some recognition.”
Hart also described the rebounding edge that helped define Game 1, where he grabbed 15 rebounds. He said, “Yeah, I mean, just a will. Obviously he’s someone that we have to pay extra attention to and try to keep him off the glass. And KAT and Mitch did an amazing job doing that yesterday. And obviously they got talented guards that crash the glass hard. So, it’s just a will. Just trying to read the ball, see where it’s going to bounce, and be the first one to get there.”
Pace remained a major focus in his breakdown of the matchup with San Antonio. Hart said, “Yeah, extremely important. Obviously, they’re very good in the half court. Using their physicality, the athleticism, and then obviously Wemby altering shots or deterring shots. So, we got to make sure we push it.”
He also described an early-game adjustment involving Victor Wembanyama, saying, “And then the first play of the game, I look up, I’m bringing the ball up and Wemby’s guarding me. And I was about to call a timeout, tell them to switch and be like, hold on, this is not how it’s supposed to be.”
Hart explained how drawing Wembanyama away from the paint impacts spacing for teammates such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. He said, “So, you want to do your best to draw him out. And especially for me, I’m able to play rifle action or handoffs or ball screens with JB, Mikal, OG, Landry, if he’s down the floor. As long as I get a good hit on the guards, they’re going to have open shots.”
Hart also addressed teammate Jose’s energy and locker-room presence while mixing in a controversial tangent, stating, “Jose was kind of like a deer in the headlights at first, but you could tell he had the energy around him that was contagious. He was willing to work. He had a chip on his shoulder and was really willing to do whatever it took to get on the court… And then even when you look at him on the bench, he’s up, he’s talking, he’s doing those kind of things.”
He closed the session discussing consistency and mindset during the NBA Finals stage. Hart said, “It takes humility and just a willingness to sacrifice. We’re in the NBA finals. There are millions of people watching and it’s easy to get wrapped up in human nature of wanting to get recognition, wanting to score the ball, or wanting to show people what you can do on the biggest stage… But when you have that willingness to sacrifice… that breeds a championship culture.”
The Knicks now lead the series 1-0 after a Game 1 comeback win and prepare for Game 2 in San Antonio.
