The Capitol Police aren’t going to like this.
Josh Hart, who has led the NBA in minutes played since February, has been a shining example of energy and conditioning through the opening four games of the Knicks-Sixers series.
He believes the extra hardship of the regular season not only helped prepare himself, but also his Knicks teammates, who were likely drained all season by Tom Thibodeau.
“It’s always interesting, especially now during the playoffs, because everyone’s playing 40 minutes. Some guys can’t do that,” Hart said. “Some people don’t have the energy even when they’re 34 to 41 years old.
“That’s something we’ll have to deal with throughout the season.”
Hart entered Tuesday’s Game 5 averaging a series-high 44.7 minutes as Thibodeau trimmed his rotation to seven or eight players. Most impressively, Hart had an incredible fourth quarter, averaging 3.5 boards in the final 12 minutes, including 1.5 offensive rebounds.
Through the first four games of the series, the Knicks outscored the Sixers by a total of 14 points, with Hart outrebounding Joel Embiid 14-2 in the fourth quarter.
“We were able to do that at times in the regular season, so I’m not too surprised,” Hart said. “I think the most important thing for me is just chasing the ball. In the fourth quarter, I think it’s easy for opposing teams and coaches when scouting to say, ‘Those guys are going to break the glass every time.’ Masu. In some cases, you can also match quarters, two-quarters, and three-quarters. But if it’s not part of your foundation, in your DNA, you’ll forget it at some point.
“For myself, I’m programmed to do that as long as I’m in the game. “If I’m playing 48 minutes, I’m programmed to do all 48 minutes; He might do a great job, but if he slips a little bit, I want to make the most of the remaining two minutes.”
That happened in Game 2, when Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed an offensive rebound that led to Donte DiVincenzo’s go-ahead 3.
That happened in Game 4, when the Knicks grabbed seven offensive rebounds in three minutes in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers never recovered.
Hart, who faithfully digests his pregame diet of sugar and caffeine, credits his late-game energy to regular-season muscle memory. Injuries to Julius Randle and OG Anunoby forced overtime in the final three months.
Extended action does not stop.
“I wish I could say I run five miles a day at a six-minute pace in the summer. But I don’t,” Hart said. “Fortunately, I didn’t get too sick. When you run 81 games and 40 minutes like a bat out of hell, you’re in pretty good shape.
“I take 300 to 400 milligrams of caffeine (before a game). Mike and Ikes. Then I’m like, let’s get ready to run around.”
The same is true for Branson, except for his poor nutritional status.
He had the ball and was in charge the entire series. Even though he was overshadowed by Kelly Oubre and Nic Batum, he never seemed to tire or settle down. He was in stark contrast to star opponent Joel Embiid, who was often gassed and hobbled.
Brunson, who was 10th in the NBA in total minutes played during the regular season, agreed that those shifts from Thibs helped.
“It’s a reflection of how we’ve prepared ourselves for the season and maintained ourselves during the season. Everyone on the outside has talked about our workload and what we’re doing and how things can go wrong and things like that. I think we’re doing it,” said Brunson, who averaged 33 points on Tuesday and set the franchise’s single-game scoring record. “So I think scientifically some of that may be true, but from a spiritual perspective, if you understand where your body is and what it needs, , I think we’re going to be in a position to be successful in the long run. ”
