Knicks’ Mike Brown effusive of Josh Hart, compares him to Andre Iguodala: ‘Those dudes are winners’

Looking at the box score of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, it would appear Josh Hart had a bad game.

Not only did he shoot below 50 percent from the field and 20 percent from downtown, Hart had two turnovers, played just 31 minutes of a game that went to OT, and had a plus/minus rating of -23, meaning when he was on the court, New York was outscored by 23 points.

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In Thursday’s Game 2, Hart, on the surface, played much better. He scored 26 points, including going 5-for-11 from three-point range, with seven assists and four rebounds and added two steals to one turnover. His plus/minus rating was +18.

It’s true that Hart definitely had a better game on Thursday than he did on Tuesday, but he doesn’t necessarily believe he had a bad game in Game 1.

“I’m never a huge analytics guy,” he said on Thursday night. “At a certain point, they’re a lamp post to a drunk person – you can lean on them but it won’t get you home. At a certain point, you gotta have a good feel for the game.”

While Hart’s analogy, which drew incredulous laughter by not only reporters but Karl-Anthony Towns, who was sitting right next to him, is certainly interesting, head coach Mike Brown agrees with the sentiment that Hart is more than just his stat sheet.

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“He does so many little things that don’t show up on the box score,” Brown said. “I mean obviously, he shot well tonight, he scored 26 points, he had seven assists, one turnover, but he does so much more.”

To truly appreciate Hart’s impact on the game, one must look past just his stats and actually watch what Hart does on the court.

Sometimes that means simply defending the other team’s biggest player. Maybe it’s a recovered loose ball at a pivotal moment in the game that completely shifts the momentum, or perhaps it’s just something he says to his teammates in the huddle.

Whatever Hart does, Brown notices and doesn’t take it for granted. Brown even compared Hart to another player he coached while he was with the Golden State Warriors: Andre Iguodala.

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“They’re different players, but…

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Publish date : 2026-05-22 04:43:00

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