Josh Hart Reacts to Matching Larry Bird's NBA Finals Record as Jalen Brunson Hypes Knicks Teammate
Josh Hart says he doesn't care as much about matching an NBA Finals record set by Larry Bird as he does the New York Knicks winning Game 1 over the San Antonio Spurs.
Hart finished Wednesday's Game 1 win in San Antonio with 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals to become the first player since Bird in 1986 to record those numbers in an NBA Finals game.
"I don't really don't care about it, honestly," Hart said after the game about the record, per Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press.
Hart continued: "I'm happy we got the win. Happy I was able to impact the game. Obviously, I had a couple of shots that I felt good about that didn't go in.
"How I play the game, it goes far beyond made shots, it goes far beyond box scores. Glory to God, he was able to strengthen me in moments of weakness and I was able to just go out there and just hoop."
Hart went just 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from deep while contributing three points in the win.
He also recorded 15 rebounds (13 on defense) while adding six assists, four steals and a block.
Hart's rebounding was key to the Knicks overcoming a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to claim a 105-95 victory.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson said after the win he wasn't surprised to see Hart play a critical role for the Knicks in his Finals debut.
"That's just who he is. He's always been that way," Brunson said (h/t SNY Knicks). "I can't explain it, he just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It's a credit to who he is as a player."
Hart emphasized Wednesday night that he didn't want to spend too much time focusing on Wednesday's win.
"It was good. Can't think about it too much," Hart told reporters (h/t SNY Knicks). "Now we've got to go tomorrow, watch film, learn from the win. They're going to come out, obviously, with a lot of energy, a sense of urgency, a sense of desperation. And we've got to do the same thing."
The Spurs grabbed more rebounds than the Knicks but were outscored on second-chance opportunities 9-5, per NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. Finding an answer to Hart's rebounding could be key to the Spurs' hopes of taking Game 2 when the Finals continues with an 8:30 p.m. ET Friday night tip-off in San Antonio.
