Josh Hart scored three points but was the best player on the floor in the Knicks’ Game 1 win

A box score with no scoring and a piece of history

Hart went 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from three. The rest of the line is why he was, by several accounts, New York’s best player on the night. He grabbed 15 rebounds, dished six assists, came up with four steals and added a block, becoming the first player ever with at least 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals in an NBA Finals game. New York outscored San Antonio by 22 points with him on the floor, the highest plus-minus of any player in the game by eight.

“That’s just who he is,” said Jalen Brunson, who led the Knicks with 30 points. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times, as well.”

The rebounds neutralized San Antonio’s size

Victor Wembanyama pulled down 12 rebounds and Champagnie added 10 for a much bigger Spurs front line. Hart matched that frontcourt work from the wing, and the glass finished even at 60 rebounds apiece. His 13 defensive boards were the single biggest reason San Antonio’s size never turned into the second-chance edge it was supposed to provide.

The steals decided the closing stretch

Hart’s defense flipped the game after halftime. He helped hold Champagnie, who hit five of six threes in the first half, to 0-for-5 in the second, and his activity in the passing lanes fed New York’s late surge. His first steal of the fourth quarter set up a Brunson layup that put the Knicks ahead 92-86 with 6:34 left, and his final steal led to Brunson’s 15-foot jumper with 38 seconds to go that sealed it. New York closed on an 11-0 run.

The other end of that defense was Wembanyama’s debut. The Spurs star finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot just 6-for-21 with six turnovers, several of them surrendered to New York’s digging hands.

What Game 2 has to answer

San Antonio can respond by making Hart guard more screening action or by stationing him in the corner and daring him to shoot after an 0-for-3 night from deep. Leaving him free to roam let him chase rebounds, jump high-post catches and tilt a Finals opener despite three points.

Hart’s line gives Mike Brown every reason to keep him on the floor through a cold shooting night, and the Knicks carry a 1-0 lead back from Texas with Game 2 set for Friday in San Antonio.