Despite the absence of All-Star power forward Julius Randle, the New York Knicks scored two straight home games to take a 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. With the third and fourth games moved to the 76ers' home court, and after the league's Referee Report revealed several unfavorable penalties against the 76ers, the 76ers are expected to usher in a more friendly penalty scale, which could lead to a comeback in later games.
If the 76ers have a player like Josh Hart in the first two games of the playoffs, they should be the ones who will take a 2-0 lead in this series. Hart has been the unsung hero of the Knicks this season, and in the face of Brunson's sluggish performance, Hart stepped up and did everything in his power to help the team win the game. Due to the lack of attention to Hart, the 76ers did not develop a specific defensive strategy against him, opting to empty Hart on the outside, and Hart cost the 76ers as a result, shooting four three-pointers in each of the first two games of the playoffs, scoring 22 and 21 points, respectively.
Another fatal flaw in the 76ers' game plan is to give Hart the freedom to rush for offensive rebounds. Hart grabbed a total of 28 rebounds in the two games, including eight offensive rebounds. Despite being only 1.93 meters tall, he was the rebounding leader in the first two games of the playoffs, an achievement that made him the first player in history to grab 14 rebounds and hit four three-pointers in the first two games of the playoffs.
Hart played a role in all aspects of the game, and I absolutely believe the Knicks would not have been able to take a 2-0 lead in the series without him, and his performance was recognized by the fans for helping the team win the game when the All-Stars were out of shape or even absent.