"Against Philly, the physicality was crazy" - Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart explain the difference between playing 76ers and Pacers in the playoffs

Despite an injury-plagued roster, the New York Knicks nearly dragged themselves to the Eastern Conference finals behind Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Brunson was the All-Star who carried the offensive load while Hart was the underrated heart and soul of Tom Thibodeau’s lineup. Together, they embodied the gritty, resilient and never-say-die Knicks that just fell short of their goal because of injuries.

Hart and Brunson are now enjoying a well-deserved offseason. Although the seven-game loss to the Indiana Pacers in the semis was agonizing as the Knicks lost on their home floor, the two have moved on. They have time to look back and reflect on how their postseason went.

Josh Hart had this to say when comparing New York’s first-round series versus the Philadelphia 76ers and their bout against the Pacers in the semis:

“The Indiana [Pacers] series was way more of a toll on our bodies than the Philly [76ers] series.”

Jalen Brunson gave his opinion as well:

“Both series were different when it came to the physicality. Physically against Philly, it was just crazy. We weren’t that deep at that time because we had so many injuries.”

Joel Embiid’s presence with the Philadelphia 76ers begged the Knicks-Sixers series to be physical. “The Process” went outside from time to time but there were stretches where he would try to overwhelm the New York Knicks inside. Embiid called all sorts of attention to him with his physicality and skills.

The undermanned Knicks, who later lost Mitchell Robinson to a season-ending injury, struggled to keep up. Josh Hart and even Jalen Brunson would sometimes find themselves matched up against the Sixers’ 7-foot, 280-pound behemoth in the post. New York’s undersized lineup had to be physical or it would have been dominated in the paint.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers’ high-octane offense didn’t have anyone close to Embiid’s mold. Indiana relied on ball movement, athletic wings and speedy guards to run opponents to the ground.

Hart continued to differentiate between the two series:

“There was never a time during the Philly series where I was like, ‘Damn! I’m tired.”

In the seven games against the Pacers, the do-it-all forward could often be seen taking deep breaths or grabbing his shorts during breaks. Jalen Brunson also took his lumps as both the Sixers and the Pacers threw the kitchen sink at him.

---

Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will be playoff contenders next season

The New York Knicks played nearly the entire season with one leg and still almost made it to the Eastern Conference finals. Some were even convinced that had they been healthy, they might have given the Boston Celtics a run for their money. The scenario never happened, though, as injuries became too much to overcome as they went deeper into the playoffs.

Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will feel like they have some unfinished business with the way their season ended. If they can shake off the injury bug, they will again be serious contenders to challenge for the Eastern Conference supremacy. Hart, Brunson, OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, and Julius Randle will form the core that will likely make noise in the playoffs.

The Knicks will also try to re-sign unrestricted free agent Isaiah Hartenstein, who played a crucial role in New York’s deep playoff run. If Tom Thibodeau can get his top 8 players healthy for the postseason, they will be a tough out for any team. They have already proven that they can slug it out or compete in a track meet the way they did against the Pacers.

Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ core will be hyped to see how far they can take the franchise if they can stay healthy.