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The New York Knicks may have been underdogs heading into the NBA Finals, but Josh Hart believes his team spotted a key weakness in the San Antonio Spurs before the series even began.<\/p>\n
Hart revealed there was one moment after the Western Conference Finals that immediately caught his attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s talking to them about, \u2018Yo, they\u2019ve got to beat OKC. OKC\u2019s going to repeat,\u2019\u201d Hart said<\/a> speaking during a live episode of The Roommates Show alongside teammate Jalen Brunson at Madison Square Garden. \u201cThey beat OKC. For a young team, I feel like that was the mountaintop for them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when I looked at (Brunson) and I was like, \u2018You see that reaction? Because like they think they\u2019re going to win it. They think it\u2019s over.’\u201d<\/p>\n One of the defining clips from that night was Victor Wembanyama becoming emotional after the final buzzer, a sign of just how much the moment meant to San Antonio\u2019s young core.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Knicks approached their own Eastern Conference Finals victory very differently.<\/p>\n After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure their first Finals appearance in 27 years, the focus quickly shifted to the championship series rather than celebrating the achievement itself.<\/p>\n That difference in mentality appeared to show throughout the Finals.<\/p>\n Despite San Antonio entering the series full of confidence after eliminating Oklahoma City, the experienced Knicks proved too composed in the biggest moments.<\/p>\n New York won the championship in five games and erased double-digit deficits in all four of its victories.<\/p>\n The defining moment came in Game 4 when the Knicks produced a record 29-point comeback before eventually taking full control of the series.<\/p>\n For Hart, the warning signs were there before Game 1 was even played. While the Spurs celebrated reaching the Finals, the Knicks were already focused on what came next.<\/p>\n