Josh Hart was a 31 percent three-point shooter during the regular season. Since the fourth quarter of Game 1, he’s turned into Stephen Curry.
Hart shot 4-for-5 from three-point range in the first half of Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the Knicks with 19 points. After he shot 3-for-4 from deep in the fourth quarter of Game 1, Hart is now 7-for-9 on three-pointers in his last three quarters.
That’s more first-half three-pointers than Hart made in any single game in the regular season. He showed his basketball IQ by pulling up for his fourth three, getting three points and giving the Knicks a two-for-one. Hart even denied the other surprise three-point ace from Game 1, Philadelphia’s Nicolas Batum.
Unfortunately for Hart and the Sixers, he couldn’t also deny Philly’s Tyrese Maxey, who had four triples of his own on his way to 20 first-half points.
Philadelphia went into halftime with a 53-49 lead. Hart may not keep up his hot shooting but expect Coach Tom Thibodeau to keep leaning on him. The Knicks forward played the last 24:46 of Game 1 and the first 24 minutes of Game 2. And Hart will keep shooting, just as long as his legs hold up.
