Knicks' Josh Hart achieves a high not reached in 11 NBA postseasons

After the game, Hart was asked about the mental and physical preparation it takes to play 48 minutes in back-to-back games separated by just 48 hours. 

"Rest, recovery and my Lord works in mysterious ways," Hart told reporters. "Today I feel like I didn't have it at all. The whole game I was just reciting Isaiah 40:29-31 — the weak, he renews strength. That was the biggest thing. It allows you to walk and not faint."

Hart confirmed that Thibodeau, who has the reputation of a coach who runs players into the ground, did not demand him to play 48 minutes. It was his own call.

"Thibs always asks me if I [want a break], and I always tell him 'no.'  As a competitor, you want to play every second. So, that's something that I want to do," Hart told reporters.

In these playoffs, Hart has also furthered his reputation of being a terrific rebounder for a player of his size. With 12.8 boards a game, he's averaging more rebounds than 7-footers such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jonas Valanciunas and Evan Mobley. Now, that's impressive!

The Knicks are just two wins away from clinching their first Eastern Conference Finals berth since the 1999-2000 season. Hart was a five-year-old when New York last made it that far in a postseason.