The New York Knicks are running out of healthy bodies, but they still have their fighting spirit. Without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Knicks lost two more key players in Game 2 of their first round series against the Indiana Pacers. Jalen Brunson didn’t play in the second quarter after suffering a foot injury, and OG Anunoby left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury.
Brunson returned and led the Knicks to a thrilling comeback win, 130-121, over the Pacers. The Knicks have a 2-0 series lead after taking care of business at home. The Knicks are two wins away from reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2000.
As the Knicks were putting the finishing touches on their latest gritty victory, Josh Hart delivered a special message for one of New York’s biggest rivals ever. Pacers legend Reggie Miller was calling the game on TNT, and the fans started chanting his name with a certain four-letter expletive attached as the clock was expiring in the fourth quarter. Hart walked up to Miller and said “I don’t know if you heard, but I think they said ‘fuck you.’”
The TV mics picked up Hart’s message perfectly. Watch the video here:
Hart speaks for all Knicks fans on this one. There’s nothing sweeter than beating the Pacers with Miller sitting in the front row.
The Knicks are Brunson’s team right now, but Hart continues to feel like their emotional leader. He’s playing the part of a hard-nosed star role player perfectly, right down to telling Reggie Miller to f*** off.
The Knicks are rolling right now, but Anunoby’s injury hangs over their win. New York can’t afford to lose any more players with the series going back to Indiana. The Pacers have played tough basketball, and shouldn’t be discounted in this series. The mighty No. 1 seed Boston Celtics are likely waiting in the Eastern Conference Finals if the Knicks do advance.
Right now, it’s all gravy for the Knicks. The team is playing inspired basketball and winning hard-fought games in crunch time even as the injuries pile up. Telling Reggie Miller that Knicks fans hate him right to his face is just the icing on the cake.