Josh Hart could take on Hawks biggest threat as Knicks true season begins

The Knicks’ regular season was good, but irrelevant.Their own team owner set the bar as championship or bust, so the measuring starts now.Josh Hart admits as much.“I had no expectations [coming in].

We made the playoffs, we had 50 wins, so that was good.You know, we know we’re going to be judged by what we do starting now,” Hart said.

“So we didn’t really have expectations going into it.Just wanted to make sure we get to the playoffs.”But now that the Knicks are in the playoffs, they’ll be facing the white-hot Hawks in an Eastern Conference first-round series that tips off with Saturday’s Game 1 at the Garden.

It’s a home-court advantage Hart expects to be electric.“Man, the energy is great in the regular season, but if you’re able to get to a playoff game, the energy is unreal,” Hart said.“They show up for us every single game.

You have fans outside, [the] weather is good.So everyone’s outside wanting to have fun, wanting to see the Knicks play.

So we need them, obviously now more than ever, and we want to show them love.”The Knicks will have to contend with one of the league’s hottest teams, and Hart may find himself guarding one of its biggest breakout players.While Atlanta is seeded just sixth, they’re rolling into this series having gone 19-5 down the stretch.And Jalen Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists this season.While OG Anunoby is the Knicks’ wing stopper, Hart shouldered most of the burden on Johnson in their last matchup, and helped the Knicks come away with an April 6 win in Atlanta.“Jalen is a really, really good player, a great player.

And shoot, he’s won a lot of awards this year.He’s led the charge,” coach Mike Brown said.

“Him and Nickeil [Alexander-Walker] have led the charge in their resurgence here at the end of season, so a lot of respect there.In our last game, Josh matched up with him a little bit more than OG.

So it’s more a team thing than anything else.”Har...