On April 24, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs were in full swing, and in the absence of Randle, the New York Knicks showed super resilience and won two consecutive cities at home, currently leading the Philadelphia 76ers 2-0. You must know that the opposing team not only has Embiid and Maxey two All-Stars, but also Harris, Oubre, Hield and other outstanding and experienced veterans, in the face of such a strong opponent, they can still achieve such a record, which is really unexpected.
In the first two games of the series, forward Hart played the role of a surprise player for the Knicks. In the first round of the game, Hart played 42 minutes, shooting 5-of-12 and 4-of-8 three-pointers to get a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, and in the second round, he played the whole 48 minutes, scoring 21 points and 15 rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting, and 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point line.
In the two games, Hart was like an iron man, a ruthless board-grabbing machine, he not only combined for 43 points and 18 rebounds, shot 42.9% overall, and shot an astonishing 53.3% from three-point range, averaging 4 three-pointers per game. In the absence of Randle, the main interior liner, it not only took on the task of rebounding, but also provided enough outside firepower when Brunson was not feeling good.
Hart, born in 1995, is 29 years old, 196cm tall, and is a swingman who plays as a guard on the court, in 2017, he participated in the NBA draft, and was selected by the Jazz with the 30th pick in the first round to enter the league, but he was traded to the Lakers without playing, and after two seasons with the Lakers, he was sent to New Orleans as a bargaining chip to trade Davis, and after two years with the Pelicans, he was sent to Portland.
During his time with the Trail Blazers, Hart and Lillard developed a strong friendship, but the two didn't last long, and he was traded to the Knicks. He has played for four teams in his seven seasons in the league so far.
Perhaps everything was a wonderful arrangement of fate, and it was an involuntary transaction, but it unexpectedly found the perfect place for Hart. Last season, Hart joined the Knicks halfway through and played in only 25 games, averaging 10.2 points, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, and his all-around performance not only helped the team reach the second round of the playoffs. In return, the Knicks offered him a four-year contract worth $81 million.
In the regular season this season, Hart averaged 9.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game after only missing one game, of which rebounds and assists set career highs. Hart is not as talented as the long-established guards, but he has one distinctive trait, that is, he plays hard enough, and as long as he is on the court, he will spare no effort to bite and grab opponents like a bulldog, while taking every opportunity to grab rebounds.
Head coach Thibodeau, who has always liked dead players, is fond of Hart's bulldog attributes, and said in an interview with the media: "Hart is like a beast, he will desperately grab rebounds & live balls, and he also hits key shots, he is a tough fighter." ”
After years of sinking in the East, the New York Knicks have ushered in a chance to revive in the past two years, and after reaching the second round last season, they undoubtedly have a long-term pursuit this season, and the same is true of Hart, who has been awarded a long-term contract and established himself in the team, and is gradually moving towards another goal of his career - a championship.