Rumors had Hart being benched after Game 2. Hart was on the bench at the start of Game 3, but played 34 crucial minutes in the comeback win.

The eight-year veteran guard has always played above his 6-foot-4, 215-lb frame. He’s relentless on defense and makes hustle plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score, just like he did in the Knicks’ first win of the Eastern Conference Finals two days ago.

As the Knicks clung to a two-point lead with about one minute to play Sunday night, Josh Hart maneuvered through traffic under the basket to grab the rebound that denied the Indiana Pacers a chance to tie or take the lead.