PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Hart rattled a box of candy — “Mike and Ike’s, baby!” — to explain where he found the energy boost to hit the winning 3-pointer in Game 6. Hart then turned to his left and raised his right hand, expecting some love from Jalen Brunson.
Brunson left Hart hanging.
“Don’t dap him,” New York Knicks teammate Donte DiVincenzo chimed in.
Brunson joked that, yes, it was movie theater snacks — the ones made in the Lehigh Valley — that fueled Hart through the playoffs.
“It’s Mike and Ike’s. It’s popcorn,” Brunson said.
Hart then chucked some of the fruit-flavored candies toward reporters and encouraged them to try the candy. DiVincenzo buried his head in a microphone, unable to keep a straight face on a dais he shared with his two teammates.
My dream has come true! @mikeandike big things coming 👀 pic.twitter.com/bKr2pQOWkm
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) April 30, 2024
Mike & Ike's are made by Just Born off Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem. Earlier this week, Hart showed off a candy box with his face on it — Josh Hart 3 Point Mix — that was custom-made by Just Born and shipped to the NBA player after the company learned of his affinity for Mike & Ike's.
He was seen during a post-game news conference the week before pulling a box of the candies out of his pocket and popping a handful in his mouth.
"Hopefully one day I'll get a deal with Mike and Ike and get my face on a box lol," he said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Hopefully one day I’ll get a deal with Mike and Ike and get my face on a box lol https://t.co/sCWPg1ViCY
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) April 23, 2024
Bonded by their desire to win a championship in New York — the Knicks’ 118-115 Game 6 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night sent them to the second round — the trio are known more for their championship runs at Villanova.
They’re all doing their part to win a ring in the NBA.
Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright, the former Villanova coach and noted 76ers fan, was surely proud somewhere at the end of Game 6.
Take a look at the final Game 6 statistics: DiVincenzo hit five 3s and scored 23 points in 48 minutes; Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists and was the first NBA player to score 40 or more in three straight games to close out a series since Michael Jordan for Chicago against Cleveland in 1989; Hart hit the go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left and scored 16 points.
"Hopefully one day I'll get a deal with Mike and Ike and get my face on a box lol."Josh Hart on X
As thick as brothers, right?
“I can’t stand these dudes,” DiVincenzo deadpanned.
After small laughter died down, Hart then patted DiVincenzo on the knee and said they had “great friendship.”
“On a serious note,” DiVincenzo interjected, “I think on the court, you have the ability to bring everybody together, make adjustments, have that open line of communication with nobody taking offense. I think everybody’s goal here is to win. It’s easier when you have two guys you’ve played with (before). You know, sometimes when things get heated, you know it’s coming from the right place.”
The Nova trio — and the rest of the Knicks — have at least one more round ahead of them.
The Knicks are set for an Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with Indiana. The Pacers beat Milwaukee in six games and advanced to the second round for the first time in 10 years. Game 1 is Monday night in New York.