Josh Hart shook a box of candy, jokingly attributing his energy for hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 to “Mike and Ike’s.” Expecting a high-five from Jalen Brunson, he was left hanging. Their teammate, Donte DiVincenzo, teased Brunson not to dap him.
Brunson played along, saying it was movie theater snacks that powered Hart through the playoffs, mentioning “Mike and Ike’s” and popcorn. Hart tossed some candies to reporters, urging them to try. DiVincenzo struggled to keep a straight face.
Though now teammates on the New York Knicks, the trio shares a bond from their championship days at Villanova. They’re all striving to win an NBA championship together. Their former coach, Jay Wright, a Philadelphia 76ers fan, surely watched Game 6 with pride.
Let’s check out the final stats from Game 6: DiVincenzo made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points in 48 minutes; Brunson had an impressive 41 points and 12 assists, becoming the first NBA player to score 40 or more to close out a series since Michael Jordan did it for Chicago against Cleveland in 1989; Hart nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left and scored 16 points.
They seem as close as brothers, don’t they? “I can’t stand these dudes,” DiVincenzo joked. After a moment of laughter, Hart playfully patted DiVincenzo on the knee, saying they have a “great friendship.”
“Seriously though,” DiVincenzo added, “on the court, you can bring everyone together, make adjustments, and have open communication without anyone getting upset. Our goal is to win, and having two guys you’ve played with before makes it easier. You know when things get heated, it’s coming from a good place.”
The trio from Villanova, along with the rest of the Knicks, have another round to play.
The Knicks are gearing up for an Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana. The Pacers defeated Milwaukee in six games and are advancing to the second round for the first time in a decade. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night in New York.
The Knicks have made it to the second round in back-to-back years for the first time since the playoffs from 1992-2000. And what Brunson did in this series was remarkable, scoring 40 points or more in each of the final three games, something no Knick had done since Bernard King 40 years ago.
In a series where every game was close, Hart made the crucial shot that put the Knicks ahead 114-111, igniting chants of “Let’s go Knicks! Let’s go Knicks!” throughout Philly’s home court.
“The fourth quarter was just filled with big plays,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. The fourth quarter was full of “Let’s go Knicks” cheers. The Sixers had a plan for Game 6: keep Knicks fans out of Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night.
Team owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman, along with former minority owner Michael Rubin, bought over 2,000 tickets and gave them to people who serve the Philadelphia community.
It worked for most of the game, but by the end, Knicks fans had turned South Philly into a little bit of Madison Square Garden.
“We knew it was going to be a tough environment,” Hart said. “A bit tougher than (Game 4) because there were 2,500 seats taken up.” Just wait until they’re back at MSG next week.
Brunson hugged team president Leon Rose before leaving through the tunnel, with fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” dressed in orange-and-blue, ready for the next series.
