Bill Simmons believes Knicks unsung hero is Celtics kryptonite

The New York Knicks stole home court advantage in their second-round series against the Boston Celtics. Jalen Brunson and Co. needed overtime, but they walked out of TD Gardens with an 108-105 win over Boston. Bill Simmons pointed toward one of New York’s role players as the reason why the Knicks were able to complete a 20-point comeback.

Simmons broke down the matchup during his podcast, but when he got to Hart, he gave the guard his flowers. To him, Hart holds the key to victory for New York against Boston.

“…this is a Kryptonite guy for the Celtics, for how they’re composed,” said Simmons about the Knicks guard. “This undersized dude that you have to just leave open, but when you leave him open, he’s basically doing the Jrue Holiday version of what he[Holiday] does, multiplied by three. He’s around, he’s annoying.”

Despite a historically bad shooting night, the Celtics built a significant lead in Game 1. However, as the Knicks made their push, Boston struggled mightily to keep Hart off the glass. The 6-foot-4 guard hauled in 11 rebounds, grabbing his teammates’ misses and giving them second and third chance opportunities.

Those plays, along with a sneaky layup he scored while the Boston defense relaxed, made all the difference in the overtime win. For New York fans, Hart’s efforts are nothing new. During the team’s playoff run last season, Hart often out-rebounded the opposing team’s center.

In order for the Knicks to pull off the upset, they need Hart to play well alongside OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. The trio did their job in Game 1, keeping the game close in the fourth quarter. Brunson stepped up and took things from there, guiding the team to the overtime win.

The Knicks will need to play as good or better to further swing the series in their favor. However, Monday night’s effort from Hart and the rest of the team’s wings is a great sign moving forward.