The New York Knicks went into Philadelphia on Thursday and came away with a 118-115 win to knock the 76ers out of the playoffs. After the game, Josh Hart hilariously stated they knew they were going into a tough environment considering some seats had been taken up.
"We knew this was gonna be a tough environment," Hart said. "A little tougher than last game because there were 2,500 seats that were taken up, but we knew it was going to be a battle, we knew it was going to be a grind and you got to give them credit. It was a tough series, tough place to play but it’s a place we’re all comfortable at."
Hart was, of course, referring to the actions of 76ers team owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman and former minority owner Michael Rubin. A whole lot of Knicks fans were at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for Game 6 and they wanted to avoid a repeat.
Prior to Game 6, Rubin revealed that the four of them together had purchased more than 2,000 tickets.
"Josh Harris, David Blitzer, David Adelman and I just bought more than 2,000 tix for Sixers Game 6 - we absolutely CANNOT let Knicks fans take over our arena again!!! Giving them to first responders, health care professionals and other local Philadelphia-based organizations once we know they’re legit Sixers fans and not imposters!! Let’s go Sixers - we can do this!!"
We certainly did not see the same number of Knicks fans in Game 6, so that plan did work. Unfortunately for the 76ers, though, the contest ended the same way as Game 4 did, with a Knicks win.
Hart played his part in it, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. He made some huge plays throughout the series, especially on the glass, to help the Knicks advance to the next round.
The only thing standing between them and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals is the Indiana Pacers. The last time the Knicks made it that far was all the way back in 2000 and funnily enough, it was the Pacers who eliminated them back then. I would back the Knicks to come out on top this time, though.
Josh Hart Hilariously Reveals How He Plays With So Much Energy
For the series, Hart ended up averaging 16.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks while playing 46.8 minutes per game. He was asked during this press conference how he plays with so much energy and the 29-year-old had a hilarious answer.
“Mike and Ikes, baby,” Hart said.
Hart then threw a piece at the reporter, so he could try it out. He started eating Mike and Ikes before games back in high school and then started eating popcorn as well before games when he came into the NBA. Safe to say, though, that neither is the real reason.
Hart switched to a plant-based diet a few months ago and it seems to have done wonders for him. He eliminated red meat and other fatty meats from his diet, which led to him feeling lighter. It also helped Hart in terms of recovery and it would be interesting to see if more and more players go this route in the future.
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