Ahead of Game 4, Tom Thibodeau made an overdue change to the starting lineup, inserting Mitchell Robinson into Josh Hart's slot. Hart, along with most of that lineup for that matter, responded by having a poor showing. In Game 5, however, he was back to his impactful self. Hart and Deuce McBride coming off the bench gives New York structure and helps offset all of the depth that the Pacers have.
Game 4 was, as Hart described it himself, an embarrassment. Speaking to Barbara Barker of Newsday, Hart had this to say about his performance:
“I was really embarrassed about what I was doing, how I looked and the lack of intensity, lack of passion and lack of competitiveness. I was embarrassed, honestly. Not even the turnovers. But giving up back cuts, not communicating. I’m the guy who’s supposed to play with a high competitive nature, a high motor. Those were things I wasn’t doing. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, let alone look at these guys.”
Hart finished the Game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, but also had a game-high five turnovers, four of them of the live-ball variety. Indiana scored six points on plays following Hart's turnovers, and could have scored more.
On the defensive end, things were even uglier for Hart. He was torched by Bennedict Mathurin all game, giving up 66.7 points per 100 matchups. It was not that Hart was simply getting beat off the dribble, either. There were multiple instances where he fell asleep off of the ball, allowing Mathurin to make easy cuts to the rim, such as in the play below.
Game 5 rebound
Hart rebounded, no pun intended, in a big way in Game 5. In 34 minutes, Hart dropped 12 points, dished out four assists, and pulled in 10 rebounds. Three of his rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor.
On the defensive end, Hart was also improved. He had two steals and provided valuable minutes guarding Pascal Siakam, which freed up OG Anunoby to shut down Andrew Nembhard. Hart had two big steals in the game, one coming in the fourth quarter.
There is still room for improvement, as the Knicks' players adjust to their new roles and rotations. For example, Hart still had three turnovers, bringing his total to 12 in the series. The Knicks had 26 bench points in Game 5, their most in any game this series. That said, Indiana had 57. The Knicks desperately need production from their bench, it is one of their greatest deficiencies when matched up with the Pacers.
Still, Game 5 was a significant step in the right direction. The Knicks know the challenge and opportunity that they have in front of them. One more win and they will be back on their home floor with a shot to get to the finals for the first time this century. What more motivation do you need?