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Josh Hart and the New York Knicks won a hard-fought 113-111 battle against the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Hart and former college teammates Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo led the way, combining for 79 points. Following the trio’s big night, Hart shared a comical Instagram story referencing their brotherhood.
Hart, Brunson and DiVincenzo played two seasons together with the Villanova Wildcats from 2015 to 2017. Hart and Brunson were reunited midway through last season when the Knicks acquired Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers. The trio was later made complete when DiVincenzo signed with New York in the offseason.
The Villanova alumni have each recorded notable scoring performances during their first season as Knicks teammates. However, Monday’s contest reportedly marked their first time each scoring 20-plus points in the same game.
So, following the achievement, Hart took to IG, where he humorously referenced the trio’s brotherly bond.
“My brothers like my mother’s kids,” Hart captioned a graphic of him, Brunson and DiVincenzo.
Josh Hart on hitting game-winner to cap off big night against Pistons
With his 23 points against the Pistons, Josh Hart tied his season-high in scoring. He also came up big down the stretch with an improbable game-winner.
With the Knicks trailing 111-110 with just over 20 seconds remaining, the game devolved into a series of broken plays and loose ball scrambles. However, Jalen Brunson ultimately found Hart near the basket. The broken play resulted in him converting an and-one layup to put New York up 112-111 with 2.8 seconds to go.
Hart missed the free throw, but Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein tipped the ball back to him and he was promptly fouled again. The 28-year-old then split a pair of free throws to give New York a 113-111 lead with 1.3 seconds left.
Following Hart’s second missed free throw, the Pistons were unable to secure the ball before the final buzzer sounded. Thus, New York secured a thrilling home victory.
After the game, Hart touched on his team’s resilience.
“That just sums up our team, sums up our city, man,” Hart said. “We grind, we fight, we scratch, we claw, and we find a way.”
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Monday’s win helped the Knicks (35-23) get back on track after a rough stretch in which they lost five of six games. They will look to keep up their momentum when they host the New Orleans Pelicans (34-24) on Tuesday.
