It happened late in the first quarter: Jalen Brunson attacked in transition, Hart cut baseline, and as Brunson delivered the pass, Hart elevated for a layup — only to take Luke Kornet’s elbow square to the face. He collapsed instantly, and Kornet immediately signaled to the Knicks bench.

And certainly, it was Josh Hart, the Knicks' do-it-all wing whose energy and effort never wanes on the court. Brunson was sure to credit that effort which helped the Knicks erase a 20-point third-quarter deficit to win Game 1 on the road.

Brunson’s teammate Josh Hart wasted no time following the game to shout out his point guard on X, writing the Knicks star’s name in all caps with multiple shouting emojis. Hart finished the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.