Versatile power forward for the New York Knicks Josh Hart saw its streak of nine consecutive games of 40 minutes or more end Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at home. He hilariously attributed it to forward OG Anunoby’s return to the lineup.
Anunoby returned for the Knicks after missing 19 games with an elbow injury and helped the team beat the Sixers, 106-79. He finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 29 minutes.
His game complemented that of Josh Hart, who was stellar in 39 minutes of playfinishing with a triple-double of 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
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In an on-court interview with TNT following their victory, the 29-year-old former Villanova star talked about Anunoby’s return to the lineup while comically mentioning how it meant less playing time. game for him.
Hart said:
“There you go. I told you, once OG comes back, the minutes fly by baby!”
During the current NBA season, Josh Hart has been a constant presence for the Knickswhether coming off the bench or as a starter, averaging 8.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31.8 minutes of play in 63 games.
Meanwhile, the victory was a rebound for New York after losing to Philadelphia in their game on Sunday. It also improved the team to a 38-27 record, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks next play Thursday on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Josh Hart Misses Rare 20-20-10 Game in Win Over Sixers
Josh Hart had a ball game during their 106-79 victory Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at home. But he narrowly missed a 20-20-10 game, missing a rebound from that rare feat.
The former NCAA champion with Villanova (2016) was seemingly on his way to a 20-rebound game until Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau replaced him with Jericho Sims with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter.
When asked in the postgame press conference if he felt bad about pulling Hart when he was on the verge of a 20-rebound game, the Knicks coach said that he expected his player to give him a hard time. He joked, however, that it didn’t matter since, like the rest of the team, Hart had his sights set on winning.
Thibodeau said, via Fred Katz of The Athletic:
“He’s going to give me grief about something. It goes in one ear and out the other.”
Hart is currently in his first full season with the Knicks after being acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers last season. So far in New York, he has career averages of 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal in 89 games.
