Knicks' Josh Hart expected Sixers to 'disrespect' him

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart.

The New York Knicks secured a hard-fought win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. The contest was the opening game of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The Knicks were missing Julius Randle, who has been shut down for the season.

Part of New York’s success came down to the performance of Josh Hart. The combative guard scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. His 50 percent shooting from the perimeter gave Tom Thibodeau’s team a spacing boost.

When speaking to the media during his postgame news conference, Hart revealed that he anticipated the Sixers sagging off him above the three-point line. He has shot 31 percent from deep this season.

“I knew I was going to be left open, disrespected on the 3-point line, and if you base it off numbers in the regular season, I think I shot like 30 percent. So it’s a smart game plan,” Hart said. “For me, it’s just continue to take shots. Make them respect me on the three-point line.”

If the Knicks are going to overcome the Sixers, they need their role players to step up. Hart has been an important part of Thibodeau’s rotation since joining the roster at the 2023 trade deadline.

It’s fitting that he was the first role player to set the tone for New York. Nevertheless, the Knicks can’t rely on Hart playing at that level throughout the series. They will need other rotation members to follow his lead and increase their productivity.

The Sixers are navigating the playoffs while trying to keep Joel Embiid on the court. He has not long returned from meniscus surgery. He had a scare during the second quarter.

The Knicks have an opportunity to take control of this series and potentially overcome Nick Nurse’s roster. Hart was fantastic in staying calm and composed, which is why he overcame Philadelphia’s defensive game plan.

The interesting part will be whether the Sixers adjust in Game 2 or continue to sag off him around the perimeter and trust that he won’t make his threes at the same rate moving forward.

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