Josh Hart didn’t sugarcoat it.
Sometimes the Knicks’ do-it-all glue man, Hart was not happy with how he performed within the Japanese Convention Finals.
“I failed the team,” Hart stated after the Knicks’ season-ending Recreation 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I didn’t bring it the way I should have, especially in this series, and if I played better, it could’ve been a different situation.”
Hart scored a series-low 4 factors on 1-of-6 capturing in Recreation 6, whereas his six rebounds matched his lowest output of any recreation within the postseason. His 22 minutes had been his fewest in any recreation this season.
He stated he suffered a dislocated finger within the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 125-108 defeat, and afterward, he shook palms within the locker room utilizing his non-dominant left hand.
Hart completed the sequence with a plus/minus of -16, which means the Knicks had been outscored by 16 factors with him on the courtroom.
“I didn’t play how I normally play,” Hart stated. “There were some games I had three or four turnovers and let that cause me to get out my game and make me passive, because you know how costly turnovers are.”
Hart dedicated 5 turnovers within the Knicks’ Recreation 4 loss earlier than he fouled out. He completed the sequence with 13 turnovers.
The 30-year-old guard did ship some late-game heroics, significantly along with his rebounding, within the Knicks’ wins in Video games 3 and 5.
However Hart averaged 8.3 factors and three.0 assists per recreation — each nicely beneath his season averages — to go together with 9.3 rebounds per recreation.
“I felt like I was playing hard, trying to find it,” Hart stated.
Hart began every of his 77 appearances within the common season, in addition to the Knicks’ first 14 playoff video games. His +38 within the Knicks’ first-round sequence in opposition to the Detroit Pistons was the very best on the group.
However after the Knicks’ beginning lineup was outplayed within the first two video games of the convention finals — contributing to an 0-2 sequence gap — Hart volunteered to come back off the bench.
Seven-foot heart Mitchell Robinson began the ultimate 4 video games in Hart’s place.
“I had some good games and then some bad games,” Hart stated. “Just trying to find it. I couldn’t find it. Obviously, extremely disappointed. Could’ve and should’ve played better. That’s gonna sting for a while.”
