Josh Hart Says He Played MLB The Show Video Game amid Rumors on Knicks Benching
Josh Hart isn't sweating the possibility that he might be moved to the bench as the New York Knicks prepare for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Speaking to reporters about the situation, Hart said it's not in his nature to complain if head coach Tom Thibodeau decides to go with a different starting five.
Hart also revealed that he spent Saturday's off day getting away from basketball by playing MLB The Show with his My Player avatar being in Triple-A right now.
SNY's Ian Begley reported on Saturday that Thibodeau is "strongly" considering using Mitchell Robinson over Hart in the starting lineup.
In the wake of New York's Game 1 collapse against the Pacers, Thibodeau told reporters on Thursday that "everything is always on the table" when asked about changes to the starting or closing groups.
Thibodeau seemed to take that heart in real time in Game 2 when he kept Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench for most of the fourth quarter.
"Just, we got in a hole, and then the group that was in there gave us a chance," Thibodeau said after the 114-109 loss. "So we were just riding (that lineup). We’re searching for a win."
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Swapping the roles for Hart and Robinson would serve multiple purposes for the Knicks. Their starting unit is minus-29 through the first two games against Indiana. ESPN's Chris Herring noted that unit also has a 155.1 defensive rating so far in the series.
Robinson had a plus-minus of plus-six in Game 2, tied with Miles McBride for the best mark on the Knicks. He also has eight offensive rebounds through two games.
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Hart's minus-10 was the second-worst on the team, trailing only Towns at minus-20. If they were to bring him off the bench, it would give a jolt to Thibodeau's second unit while also changing the way that Indiana is able to go after him in the minutes when Tyrese Haliburton isn't on the floor.
The Knicks have to play like a desperate team because a loss on Sunday drops them into an 0-3 hole. As incredible as this playoff run has been thus far, it's hard to fathom them being the first NBA team to overcome an 0-3 deficit given how well the Pacers have looked.
