Josh Hart believes the Knicks spotted San Antonio’s Finals problem before the series even began.
The Spurs had every reason to celebrate beating Oklahoma City.
Hart saw something revealing in the way Victor Wembanyama’s young team reacted.
Josh Hart’s quote exposes Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs warning
San Antonio’s Western Conference finals win was a massive achievement. Oklahoma City had been the West’s No. 1 seed for three straight seasons, entered as the reigning champion, and still pushed the series to seven despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell among its key rotation losses.
Hart spoke on a live edition of ‘The Roommates Show,’ and explained how he knew the Spurs would lose the Finals after their reaction to beating OKC.
“Everyone said that OKC will beat them. They beat OKC, and for a young group like that, it was a mountaintop for them. You see that reaction because they think they gon’ win it. They think it’s over.”
The Spurs won Game 7, 111-103, on the road behind Wembanyama’s 22 points and seven rebounds. The reaction reflected the size of the mountain they had just climbed.
Wembanyama cried on the floor, the Spurs embraced the moment, and the franchise returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Hart’s comparison was with New York’s own Eastern Conference celebration. The Knicks viewed winning the East as important, but with the reminder that four more wins were still needed.
That is where he believed the gap appeared. San Antonio looked like a team that had spent its biggest emotional punch, while New York kept treating every celebration as temporary.
Josh Hart read on Victor Wembanyama Finals proved right
The series then gave Hart’s read real weight.
Wembanyama was brilliant enough to keep the Spurs dangerous. He averaged 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks across the five games, but he shot 42.3 percent from the field, and the Spurs repeatedly failed to close.
San Antonio led in all four losses and blew a 29-point lead in Game 4. In Game 5, the Knicks finished the job with a 94-90 win after another late comeback.
Hart was not a huge scorer, but his value was everywhere. He averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals, while finishing the series at plus 7.6 per game.
That is the difference Hart was describing. The Spurs had the superstar and the breakthrough. The Knicks had the scar tissue, patience, and edge to keep playing after the emotional high was gone.
Wembanyama will learn from it. For Hart, the lesson had already shown itself before tip-off.
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