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New York Knicks do-it-all wing player Josh Hart saw his nine-game streak of playing 40 minutes or more come to an end on Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at home. He hilariously attributed it to the return forward OG Anunoby to the lineup.
Anunoby returned for the Knicks after missing 19 games because of 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 play complemented well that of Josh Hart, who was stellar in 39 minutes of the game, finishing with a triple-double of 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
In an on-court interview with TNT following their victory, the 29-year-old former Villanova star spoke about the return of Anunoby to the lineup while comically mentioning how it meant less playing time for him.
Hart said:
"There we go. I told you, once OG's back man, minutes going down baby!"
In the ongoing NBA season, Josh Hart has been a steady presence for the Knicks, be it 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 bounce-back for New York after it lost to Philadelphia in their game on Sunday. It also improved the team to a 38-27 record, solo fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks next play on Thursday on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Josh Hart misses out on rare 20-20-10 game in win over Sixers
Josh Hart had himself a ball game in their 106-79 victory on Tuesday over the Philadelphia 76ers at home. But he narrowly missed out on a 20-20-10 game, going one rebound short of the rare feat.
The one-time 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 minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
Asked during the postgame press conference if he felt bad for pulling out Hart when he was on the verge of a 20-rebound game, the Knicks coach said he expected his player to give him a tough time for it. He, however, jokingly said it did not matter since like the rest of the team, Hart was all about winning.
Thibodeau said, by way of The Athletic’s Fred Katz:
"He's gonna give me grief about something. It goes in one ear, 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 a steal in 89 games.
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