As dominant as Shaquille O’Neal has been, he had a polar opposite persona from the free throw line. As Hollywood makes sure to bring it up in the big man’s big-screen stints, players around the league continue to use Shaq’s name as a reference to off-nights. The latest one comes from Josh Hart right after the New York Knicks clinch a close 5-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of the first-round series.

Jalen Brunson made a playoff franchise record with his 47 points in the game. With that, when asked about Brunson’s impact, Hart said, “We needed it.” However, while highlighting the Knicks’ inclination to play Jalen, Donte DiVincenzo, and himself, Josh Hart hilariously compares with Shaquille O’Neal to cite his underperformances in the game. He adds, “his starting small forward, power forward, whatever the hell I am, ain’t make a shot, I was like Shaq at the free throw line, so we needed it.”

Game 4 marks Josh Hart’s worst output of the ongoing first-round series. He entered Wells Fargo with an average of 21 points per game but only posted four on the stat sheet. He could not find the net on all of his seven shots from the field and resorted to the free-throw line to sink 4 of 8 buckets. His 50% shooting touch from the line is reminiscent of Shaq’s 52.7%, who saw NBA teams mocking him for the same through the Hack-a-Shaq play.

Josh Hart impacted the game despite shooting woes

With their recent win, the Knicks develop to a 22-3 record when harboring a combo of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. Brunson topped franchise legend Bernard King’s 46-point games from the 1984 playoffs, all while garnering 10 assists and giving up just one turnover. Anunoby fulfilled the void left by Mitchell Robinson, putting up efficient defense on Joel Embiid something the Knicks desperately needed. He also contributed 16 points on the chart, alongside three blocks and 14 rebounds.

However, Josh Hart made mid-game adjustments, leaping for the game-high 17 rebounds. He also dimed five assists and blocked three shots. Moreover, Hart’s energy came in huge during the crunch time, helping glue the Knicks’ aim to take home a win. He played the team’s second-highest 46 minutes while focusing on making things hard for Embiid and the squad.

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The Knicks will now take the series to New York with an opportunity to win it in front of their loyal crowd. If they advance to the next round on Tuesday, they will meet the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers matchup winner, where the Pacers lead 3-1.