The New York Knicks made a significant change in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals when they had Josh Hart come off the bench, but the veteran guard insists he had no issue with the decision. In fact, Hart says he was part of it.
Mitchell Robinson replaced Hart in the starting lineup for Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind, on Sunday night. The Knicks won the game 106-100 and are now down 2-1 in the series.
Hart still logged 34 minutes, which was more than he played in Game 2. He finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
After the game, Hart was asked what it felt like to come off the bench and whether it was a “tough day” for him. The 30-year-old said he and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau decided on the lineup change together.
“It was never gonna be a tough day for me because I had a hand in that decision,” Hart said. “When I’m in a decision like that and kind of got the ball rolling on that … it was funny because y’all were scrambling trying to get answers and all that and I never really cared. It was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it.”
Hart said he first proposed the idea prior to Game 6 of the Knicks’ series against the Boston Celtics, when he was struggling to match up with big man Luke Kornet. He wound up starting in Game 6 and had a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in New York’s series-clinching win.
“It’s something that I’ve had in the back of my mind and I’ve always been willing to do. Down two (games), especially with how (Robinson) played last game, it’s just something that we had to do,” Hart added. “It’s a group decision that really boils down to Thibs and myself.”
Josh Hart full answer on "having a hand in the decision" to come off the bench for Mitchell Robinson tonight in Game 3. #Knicks pic.twitter.com/0YM01bYCsO
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) May 26, 2025
Robinson played 29 minutes on Sunday night and had 6 points and 6 rebounds. That is the same number of minutes he played in Game 2, so Thibodeau did not make any huge changes to his rotation despite tweaking the starting lineup.
Hart told reporters after Game 2 that the Knicks needed to find a way to get Robinson on the floor more. He didn’t seem quite as thrilled about the possibility of being benched prior to tip-off on Sunday, but the important thing is New York won the game to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.
