When the Knicks looked dead, Josh Hart saved them as only he could

The Knicks were dead in the water. They trailed by 20 points to the defending champions, on the road, midway through the third quarter. Then Josh Hart drilled a contested three. It was one of dozens of plays that Hart made in Game 1 that saved the Knicks. Most of them weren't big shots, they were small, effort-driven plays that amount to something more when the clock runs out.

As is often the case with Hart, many of those plays won't show up in the stat sheet. In fact, most of the plays won't show up in a highlight tape, and many of them might never be discussed again.

The reason is, they normally precede the plays that will be the features on the highlight tape. With just under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson nailed a corner three to knot the score at 89 points. Brunson was assisted by Mikal Bridges, who was passed the ball by OG Anunoby. Before that, which will likely get lost in history, Hart pulled down a contested offensive rebound in a sea of players taller than he is.

Turning the tide

The 3-point shot was big, as it was the start of the Knicks getting back into the game, but there were so many other plays that were equally important. It was contesting every rebound, then sprinting back on defense to contest the shot. It was pushing the pace and making things happen when shots weren't falling, it was playing exceptional defense and forcing turnovers, it was the culmination of it all.

The plays started even before the Knicks found themselves in a deep hole. Late in the second quarter, he secured multiple offensive rebounds in a row, giving the Knicks extra opportunities to get points on the board, which they ultimately did. By my count, Hart was responsible for creating 10 second-chance points for the Knicks.

Knowing his role

The other part of Hart's game that makes him so valuable, and has undoubtedly earned him the unwavering trust of his head coach (who insists on playing him 40 minutes per game), is that you know exactly what you are getting.

There are parts of Hart's game that, at times, leave fans wanting more. His floor spacing issues are nothing new, he can shrink the floor for his teammates, but he knows exactly where he brings value, and his effort and heart are unquestionable.

When things get stale, or shots aren't falling, Hart takes it upon himself to crank the enrgy up. That could be diving for a loose ball, sprinting 94 feet on defense, deflecting a pass, or creating an extra possession on defense. Sometimes, all of those little things can turn a loss into a win.