If you felt a disturbance in the Force just before Game 3 between the Knicks and Pacers, you weren’t alone. Knicks fans collectively raised their eyebrows higher than Scott Foster’s whistle count when news broke: Josh Hart was heading to the bench. Yes, that Josh Hart — New York’s hustle king, rebounding guard, and all-around do-everything glue guy. But don’t worry, Hart handled it with the poise of Tim Duncan at a press conference.
“It’s funny because people were texting me all day, asking if I’m ok,” Hart said. “It’s like, I don’t care if I start. I don’t care if I play 20 minutes. If we win, we win.”
Josh Hart: “It’s funny because people were texting me all day, asking if I’m ok. It’s like, I don’t care if I start. I don’t care if I play 20 minutes. If we win, we win.”
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 26, 2025
In what felt like a bold move straight out of Thibs’ secret strategy vault, Mitchell Robinson got the nod in the starting lineup. The idea? Add size, some more interior rebounding, and maybe give the Pacers’ sprinter-style offense something beefier to navigate around. Robinson had been solid off the bench, grabbing boards like they owed him money—7.1 rebounds per game, to be precise.
But this change wasn’t universally welcomed. Sir Charles Barkley nearly combusted live on Inside the NBA, ranting like he’d just seen someone try to double-team Shaq in his prime. “I don’t understand putting Mitchell and big KAT together,” Chuck said. “It makes them slower… better rebounders, sure, but worse defensively.”
Barkley also added — with more passion than Rasheed Wallace arguing a foul — that you don’t make big changes on the road. You save that jazz for the home crowd. Otherwise, it’s like trying to outpace the Pacers with two seven-footers. Spoiler alert: Tyrese Haliburton is not slowing down for your experiments.
Josh Hart’s Game 3: From “Uh Oh” to “Let’s Go!”
Despite the skepticism and lineup roulette, the Knicks managed to pull out a gutsy 106-100 win. It wasn’t smooth, but it was gritty. And when it mattered most, Karl-Anthony Towns turned into a one-man wrecking crew in the fourth quarter.
KAT dropped 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in just the final 12 minutes, matching the entire Pacers squad’s fourth quarter output. That’s not basketball; that’s WWE-level domination in the paint. Only Dirk Nowitzki has ever posted a similar fourth-quarter line in a playoff game. Legendary stuff.
Jalen Brunson chipped in with 23 points, and OG Anunoby was silky from deep (4-for-6). Mikal Bridges was a little off with his shooting (1-for-6 from three), but hey, he made up for it by playing defense like he was trying to win Defensive Player of the Year in one night.
And Josh Hart? Well, he may have only taken three shots, but he finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. That’s the stat line of a man who doesn’t care where he starts, as long as he finishes with a W.
Jan 3, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after a call against him on a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Tyrese Haliburton put up 20 points and six assists, but his impact fizzled late. Myles Turner had a solid 19, and Pascal Siakam added 17, but their defense folded faster than a Dwight Howard mid-range jumper. Even T.J. McConnell’s spark-plug 12 points off the bench couldn’t change the trajectory. The Pacers shot just 5-for-25 from deep—brick city, population: Indiana.
The Knicks may still be down 2-1 in the series, but Game 3 was a statement. Thibodeau gambled, Barkley groaned, and Hart showed the kind of veteran mentality every team needs in May. You can shuffle the lineups, throw in bigs, or pull out all the Thibodeau defensive wizardry you want—but at the heart of it all is Josh Hart, doing the dirty work and brushing off the noise.
In a league full of egos, it’s refreshing to hear a player say, “If we win, we win.” That’s some ’90s Knicks energy right there.
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