Josh Hart confident shots will fall again in Game 2 for Knicks after late benching

Jalen Brunson has brought the best out of Madison Square Garden in the past four years, inspiring its loudest and most frequent pops.

Josh Hart isn’t far behind, doing it in a different way, doing it in so many ways, born from never-ending hustle and never-questioned passion.

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But Hart was a spectator to the greatest postseason comeback in Knicks history, watching the 22-point rally in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals with a T-shirt over his jersey and a towel over his shoulders after being benched in the fourth quarter and overtime for Landry Shamet.

“That’s always difficult, watching it on the bench,” Hart said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, I want to be out there. I want to help my guys win, but at the end of the day, for me, I don’t have an ego to it. I approach this game with extreme humility.

“I’m here to serve these guys … [to] make sure they’re in the best position to be successful. I put the success of the team over the success of myself any day.”

Hart’s enthusiasm was evident as he stood alongside his teammates on the sideline, celebrating each of Shamet’s 3-pointers that allowed the Knicks to claim the historic victory.

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Mike Brown had little choice but to emphasize shooting and spacing after Hart badly missed multiple 3-pointers (1-for-5) — and posted a team-worst minus-23 rating — while Cleveland left him open on the perimeter.

Josh Hart takes a jump shot during Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of a Game 2 matchup vs. the Cavaliers. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Shamet made each of his three 3-pointers, finishing with a team-best plus-20 rating. Hart, who shot a career-best 41.3 percent of 3-pointers this season, has only gone 26.7 percent in the playoffs, and anticipates the Cavaliers again daring him to beat them from deep.

“For them, this is the same game plan that put them up [22]. … So they’re probably gonna do the exact same thing,” Hart said. “I’m gonna shoot the exact same shots. I’m gonna shoot it with confidence, play my game.

Josh Hart talks with reporters during a Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of…

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Publish date : 2026-05-21 01:27:00

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