Josh Hart left covered in blood after Luke Kornet smashes him in face with elbow

During the first quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, Josh Hart caught an elbow from Luke Kornet that left him covered in blood.

Towards the end of the opening quarter, Hart inadvertently caught Kornet's elbow as he drove to the basket. His face and jersey were covered in blood. The Knicks guard was tended on the bench and hit two free throws.

The officials ruled the contact on Hart incidental and just ruled a common foul. Following the play, Hart went to the Knicks' locker room at TD Garden. He returned early in the second quarter. Hart had four points and two rebounds before his brief exit.

Hart would go on to finish the game and play 36 minutes. He led New York in scoring with 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 5-for-9 from the 3-point line. He also had seven rebounds and two assists in the 127-102 Game 5 loss to the Celtics.

Following the game, Hart told reporters he got a couple of stitches for the cut above his left eye.

"It's peachy," Hart said.

Josh Hart is a key piece in Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation. He played 77 games in his first full season as a starter. He averaged 37.6 minutes per game and put up 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals on 52.5% shooting.

"They came out with aggression" - Josh Hart on Celtics' Game 5 response

Josh Hart's New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics were knotted at 59 at halftime. However, the Celtics outscored the Knicks 68-43 in the second half to grab the Game 5 victory. Following the game, Hart was asked about Boston's performance as they faced elimination.

"They're the defending champs," Hart said. "Jayson Tatum went down, you thought they were just going to lay down? Nah. You knew they were going to come out swinging. They came out with extreme confidence, like they do every game they came out with aggression."

The Knicks still lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled on Friday in New York. They hope to close the series and advance to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.