'Put It to Bed!': Knicks' Josh Hart Rips Trade Deadline Narrative
Josh Hart is sharing the love.
With apologies to Hart, the New York Knicks are 6-0 since he arrived from Portland in a trade executed just before the NBA trade deadline. A sorry is necessary because Hart himself is tired of hearing about the Knicks' success since first put on a blue-and-orange jersey.
"(I) honestly hate this 6-0 since trade headline. Let’s put it to bed," Hart declared on Twitter shortly after the Knicks wrapped up a 109-94 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. "The teams hooping and clicking, TOGETHER! [sic]"
Even if Hart has a point, there's no denying that the Knicks (36-27) have shown an extra spring in their step since he came over from the Pacific Northwest. The undefeated record speaks for itself but the wins have come by an average of over 14 points and New York has moved from Play-In Tournament purgatory to the fifth of six automatic Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Monday's win over Boston, which entered with the NBA's best record, was perhaps the Knicks' most impressive effort yet. Hart did his part with 12 points and a team-best five assists and perhaps served as the face of victory when he animatedly directed Celtics star Jayson Tatum to the locker room after the Beantown All-Star was charged with his second technical foul of the night.
The recent run of success, earned alongside collegiate teammate Jalen Brunson, could potentially help the well-traveled Hart see New York as more of a professional "home": through six seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Portland Trail Blazers, he has yet to partake in an NBA playoff game.
“I think we have a team that can make some noise. I think it’s a team that can make a run and surprise some people,” Hart said, per Ian Begley of SNY. "We want to keep pushing. We don’t want to make the playoffs. We want to make a run in the playoffs. I think that’s the biggest thing and I think we have the capability to do that. We have to continue to build and continue to grow. We can’t get complacent where we are right now.”
No franchise would be wiser to follow Hart's advice than the Knicks: New York ended a seven-year playoff drought when they earned the East's fourth seed in 2021 but was immediately ousted by the Atlanta Hawks in five games.
"If we get complacent, we’ll be out in the first round. If we continue to do what we’re doing and continue to build and be coachable and not be satisfied, I think we can make a run.”
New York has not won a playoff series since 2013 and it has been 23 years since they last made the conference finals in 2000.
Perhaps held back by character limits on social media, Hart named several teammates whose respective rises have coincided with his metropolitan arrival. He was primarily pleased with the way his fellow reserves Isaiah Hartenstein and Immanuel Quickley have played.
“You got guys that are physical. Guys that aren’t afraid of the moment,” he said. “I feel like we have seven, eight starters. Honestly, I think Quick is a starter, I think I can start. I think (Hartenstein) can be a starter in this league.
“So we got depth. We have good coaching. We just have that toughness and that grittiness that happens in the playoffs. Obviously, the fouls aren’t the same. They let you play a little bit more and I think that will benefit us. But we got a good team."
To Hart's point, Quickley tied with All-Star Julius Randle for the Knicks' lead in points on Monday with 23. He, Hart, and Obi Toppin outscored Boston's bench 44-29. Hartenstein was mostly kept off of Monday's statsheet but has earned at least 10 rebounds in eight of his last dozen games.
The Knicks will look to keep their winning streak alive on Wednesday night when they face the Brooklyn Nets at home (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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