Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made a significant change to his starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, inserting Mitchell Robinson in place of Josh Hart. After New York’s exhilarating comeback, which marked their first victory of the series, Hart revealed that he not only accepted the change but actually suggested it himself, as reported by Peter Botte of The New York Post (subscription required).
Hart told reporters that he proposed the adjustment during a conversation with Thibodeau, inspired by Robinson’s performance in Game 2.
“It was never going to be a tough day for me because I had a hand in that decision,” Hart remarked. “When I’m in a situation like that and kind of got the ball rolling on that, it was funny, y’all are scrambling, trying to get answers and I never really cared. Because it was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it.”
Despite coming off the bench, Hart maintained his usual contributions, playing 34 minutes and delivering eight points and 10 rebounds, with several crucial boards late in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Robinson contributed six points, six rebounds, and a block in 29 minutes, aiding the Knicks in avoiding the slow starts they faced in Games 1 and 2. The score was tied at 24-24 when he left the court for the first time with 1:10 remaining in the first quarter.
“It really didn’t impact either guy from a minutes standpoint. So to me, when Mitch was coming off the bench, he’s a starter coming off the bench. When Josh comes off the bench, he’s a starter coming off the bench,” Thibodeau clarified. “Their minutes are gonna be the same. And both guys mix and match. Both guys are comfortable with both units. The thing that I love about Josh is the unselfishness.”
This lineup adjustment also permitted Karl-Anthony Towns to take on a larger role at power forward, leading the comeback by scoring 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Hart indicated that the inspiration for Sunday’s adjustment can be traced back to their second-round series against the Celtics.
Image Source: Josh Hart @ Instagram
