CLEVELAND — So much for all that concern over Josh Hart’s sprained left ankle.
Though Hart was listed as doubtful after practice on Monday, the Knicks upgraded the valuable reserve guard to questionable following the shootaround Tuesday morning at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and he was available for Game 2 that night.
When The Post spotted Hart walking without a limp before he left the arena during the day, he offered a thumbs up.
Asked how he was feeling, Hart responded: “Good,” with a smile.
Josh Hart will play do the Knicks in Game 2 on Tuesday. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Prior to tip-off, Hart said he woke up on Tuesday feeling better.
Hart was a key figure in the Knicks’ Game 1 victory, not only scoring 17 points along with 10 rebounds, but also hitting the game’s biggest shot — a 3-pointer with 1:47 left that gave the Knicks the lead for good in his playoff debut.
Moments earlier, Hart had fallen hard while going for a rebound, which is how he sustained the injury.
Since his acquisition in a trade-deadline deal with the Trail Blazers, Hart has emerged as an essential part of the Knicks’ bench.
The Knicks had won 18 of 26 games with Hart, and were 2-0 against the Cavaliers, including the playoff win.
“He was the X-factor for them,” Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell said, referring to the series opener. “At the end of the day he’s a guy that, ever since that trade happened, he’s been nothing but gold for them.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t concerned by Immanuel Quickley’s shaky performance on Saturday, pointing to his plus-eight rating in 24 minutes. Quickley missed all five of his shot attempts and committed three turnovers.
“He can help us in a lot of different ways,” the Knicks’ coach said. “Just make the team function well. So if you’re not shooting well that doesn’t necessarily impact how you can perform.”
The Knicks weren’t treating Tuesday night as a house-money game, despite already having stolen away home-court advantage by winning the opener.
“What we’ve done [well] all year is just being [in the] present,” reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I think [if] you get too far ahead of being on that 1-0 lead, you get too caught up with it.”
