CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Knicks prepared for their big NBA Cup showdown against the Bucks on Black Friday, Josh Hart fit nicely into the commissioner’s hat with a smart idea to spice up Adam Silver’s tourney.
The half-a-million-dollar reward for winning is great, Hart said, especially since he needs to replace some luxury watches that were recently stolen (more on that later).
But as an added bonus to the winners, what about an advantage in the regular-season standings?
Josh Hart reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ Nov. 26 win against the Hornets. AP
“I think what would be really cool is if they solidify it a little bit more, whoever is the winner gets a half-game [extra in the regular-season win column],” Hart said. “You get to the championship game, you get a half-game if you win. If you lose the championship, it doesn’t go against your record. Now you have that half game so you have the tiebreaker and it legitimizes that NBA Cup a little bit more. That’s what I would love to see.”
Hart’s suggestion is logical since a current knock on the NBA Cup, among others, is that winning just adds to the load of a grueling schedule.
Currently, the championship game doesn’t count toward the final standings — it’s just an extra 48 minutes that other teams don’t have to play.
The previous two NBA Cup winners — the Lakers and Bucks — flamed out in the playoffs.
It’s a small and simple adjustment from the brain of Hart. And yes, a final record of 52 ¹/₂-30 does look awkward.
But the NBA Cup is evolving — with the league teasing the inclusion of European teams down the road — and the NBA is searching for ways to captivate both fans and players.
The Knicks, under Mike Brown, seem to be prioritizing the tournament, even without the half-game incentive.
The new coach has preached the importance of the NBA Cup and followed through by running up the score in two group play victories, with starters on the court deep into garbage time and unrelenting in pursuit of a better point differential.
It has left the Knicks (2-1 in group play) with the following scenario for Black Friday at MSG:
Beat the Bucks and they advance to the quarterfinals.
Lose and they’re out.
“Guys are locked in. We’re locked in,” Miles McBride said. “When they put something up to play for, we pay attention to it. We take it with seriousness.”
Adding to the drama is the availability of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is trending toward a return from a four-game absence because of a groin strain. He was upgraded to questionable before Wednesday’s loss to the Heat but didn’t play, leaving Friday at MSG as the logical return.
Giannis loves the Garden, loves it so much that he reportedly chose the Knicks as his preferred destination if traded by Milwaukee.
He also eliminated the Knicks in the quarterfinals of the inaugural NBA Cup two years ago and is the defending champion.
There are a lot of reasons to pay attention to Friday night, the biggest game thus far of this young Knicks season.
Mikal Bridges dribbles the ball during the Knicks’ Nov. 14 win over the Heat at MSG that counted for the NBA Cup. NBAE via Getty Images
“Yes, we talk about [the NBA Cup],” Brown said. “I think in life, pressure is a privilege, so you try to manufacture it from time to time. I think if you’re in a situation where there is pressure, you’re doing pretty good because obviously if you’re competitive you’re going to put pressure on yourself no matter what. So trying to feel it from the outside a little bit as much as you can is a privilege and it gets you ready for the postseason, in my opinion, so I bring it up to our guys.”
Antetokounmpo’s presence changes the dynamic of the game — he’s averaging a ridiculous 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists — especially since the Knicks don’t have OG Anunoby (hamstring strain) to defend him.
But Karl-Anthony Towns, who would line up against Antetokounmpo for tipoff, said they can’t be concerned with Antetokounmpo’s status.
“Obviously, he’s one of the top players in the NBA, but if we don’t first take care of what we need to do first, then Giannis, no Giannis, we’re going to lose the game if we’re not playing Knicks basketball,” Towns said. “Put our best foot forward, play our best version, and we have a chance every night.”
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The Knicks can claim the NBA Cup with four more victories, starting Black Friday (there are five non-tournament games scheduled before the quarterfinals).
The semis and finals take place in Las Vegas, and the prize money can act as a recoup for Hart after he said his watches were snatched from a case in his room in September at The Dominick Hotel in Manhattan.
Police sources told The Post that the case held three watches and one bracelet worth a total $185,000.
The winners of the NBA Cup, meanwhile, get over $530,000 per player; the runner-ups get over $212,000 per player; the semifinalists get over $53,000.
“For me, that’ll be watch money,” Hart said Wednesday.