Knicks, Josh Hart Provide Update After Injury Scare

Some expect the New York Knicks’ individual workloads to lighten now that Tom Thibodeau has given way to new head coach Mike Brown, but the team’s hand was forced in its preseason opener in Abu Dhabi.

An injury to regular contributor Josh Hart partly marred the Knicks’ 99-84 win over the Philadelphia 76ers that opened preseason play at Etihad Arena. Hart, coming off the bench after spending almost all of last year in the starting five, endured a lower body injury early in the second period while successfully going after a rebound off a Johni Broome miss.

In the aftermath, Brown confirmed that Hart’s ailment was that of a sore lower back and that the team will “wait to see how he feels tomorrow.” (H/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Post).

Hart himself offered a visual comment on X after the game, updating his status via a clip from the 2000 comedy film “Next Friday.” In said clip, the character Uncle Elroy (Don “DC” Curry) endures a back injury but is told there’s “nothing wrong with [him]” by his brother Willie (John Witherspoon).

Mood: pic.twitter.com/WtrKGe1aS8
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) October 2, 2025

While that certainly makes Hart’s status a bit harder to decipher, the fact that the “Roommates Show” co-host is engaged in his usual cheeky, comedic antics likely bodes well for the Knicks.

The incident occurred right in front of the Philadelphia bench, as Hart fell without contact right in front of 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, who stayed near Hart until play was stopped and the Knicks’ medical team could get to him.

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"I thought something really bad happened," Nurse said, per Steve Popper of Newsday. "He wasn't in a collision, did it on his own | think, those always are scary. He was in a lot of pain. I don't know what the verdict was. Let's hope it's not serious, but I did think it was something very serious at the beginning. I was trying to get everybody's attention, like, 'Let's go, get out here.' Let’s hope he's okay."

Perhaps the most definitive update came from Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who revealed that the Knicks stayed Hart’s subsequent ejection from the game kept him off the floor and bench for the remainder. Hart was charged with a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct after he went down, as he threw the ball away in frustration after Sixers reserve Kennedy Chandler ran over to force a jump ball.

"The Knicks said that Josh Hart didn't come back to the game because he was ejected. Not because he had the injury."@WindhorstESPN on Josh Hart’s status after the Knicks vs. 76ers preseason opener. pic.twitter.com/A4JFU45yDa
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 2, 2025

Hart is not the only Manhattanite ailing in Abu Dhabi, as the Knicks (1-0) engages in preseason combat without OG Anunoby, who is said to have a sprained hand. Anunoby, however, is considered day-today and Pacome Dadiet earned his spot in the starting five while he rested.

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