By Mallory Mattingly
For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks will return to the NBA Finals.
The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure the Eastern Conference Finals title. The team was led by none other than Josh Hart.
Hart didn’t score in double figures in Game 1 against the Cavs, but that didn’t stop him in Game 2 when he scored 26 points along with seven assists.
“I don’t think a switch flipped, per se. I think that was the start of the habits we were building, starting to show,” Hart told ESPN after the Eastern Conference Finals win. “This is a very selfless group, and we were willing to sacrifice our own individual performances or stats, or accolades for the betterment of the team.”
“When you have not just one or two or three, but a whole team of those kinds of guys and that kind of character, it puts you in a position to be successful,” he added.
Related: Knicks’ Trey Jemison Shares Faith Lesson Ahead of NBA Cup Final
Hart often proclaims his faith.
“My Lord works in mysterious ways,” he said after the Knicks advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs earlier this month, per Michael Scotto on X. “…Today, I felt like I didn’t have it at all. The whole game I was reciting Isaiah 40:29. The weak, He renews strength. That was the biggest thing. He allows you to walk and not faint.”
Knicks guard Josh Hart on playing two entire playoff games: “My Lord works in mysterious ways. Today, I felt like I didn’t have it at all. The whole game I was reciting Isaiah 40:29. The weak he renews strength. That was the biggest thing. He allows you to walk and not faint.” pic.twitter.com/iOOwR0nO13
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 9, 2024
Knicks center Trey Jemison didn’t dress out for the game, but that didn’t stop him from lifting up his teammates and celebrating the win with them.
“GOD IS GOOD💙🧡💙🧡🧡 KNICKS IN 4,” he shared in a post on Instagram.
Jemison also lets his faith shine. The center often shares Bible studies on social media, with each study focusing on a different topic.
“Matthew 6:11 says, ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ Not weekly bread, not monthly bread, not Sunday bread, but daily bread,” Jemison said in one of those Bible studies. “And this is a thing that a lot of Christians kind of skip out on, is that, ‘Hey, I went to church on Sunday, so I’m good. I worship on Thursday, so I’m good.’ But the word says ‘daily.’”
“That means getting to your word, that means finding God each and every day,” he continued. “It’s a hard thing. It’s a hard thing to make time, you know, saying sometimes you don’t like reading the Bible. Now you don’t feel like worshiping, but the best thing you can do is make yourself want to do it.”
The Knicks will face the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs series that is currently tied 2-2.
Read Next: NY Knicks Guard Josh Hart Leans on Faith Amid Tough Playoff Stretch
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