The Knicks heat into Game Six in Atlanta with a chance to close out their first round series, but might have to do so without an essential piece.
Josh Hart exited Tuesday’s 126–97 Game Five humiliation of the Hawks in the fourth quarter and never returned to the bench. Afterward, Mike Brown didn’t have much to offer on the subject. On Wednesday night, New York added Hart to the injury report, listing him as questionable with a lower back contusion.
Hart seemed to tweak something in the first half but
gutted it out before being pulled for good with 6:27 left. With the Knicks hammering the Hawks, he probably could have ducked out sooner. Despite the injury, he finished with nine points, five boards, and four assists in just over 30 minutes.
So far this postseason, Hart has averaged 10 rebounds, 9.4 points and 4.8 assists. His defense has been murder on Atlanta, and he has given them a taste of their own medicine with eight steals.
It’s not the first back issue for Hart over the past year. Mr. Mike & Ike suffered a lower back injury when he slipped on the court during the preseason opener in early October. That caused him to miss the beginning of the regular season, including the opener against the Cavs.
Although the Knicks’ injury report is otherwise clean, we suspect that most of the starters are dinged up. Forever turning ankles, Jalen Brunson limped his way to a 39-point performance in Tuesday’s annihilation of Atlanta; Karl-Anthony Towns was seen favoring his knee(s) in the game; and OG Anunoby, the MVP of the series, sprained his left ankle late in the season and was most recently listed as probable before Game Two. Iron Man Mikal Bridges seems fine.
If Josh can’t play, New York still has the wing depth to cover with Anunoby and Bridges. Hart’s versatility, however, especially in their switch-heavy defense, is tough to replicate and has been a key to their success all year. Given the stakes—our heroes could close out the series tonight and start prepping for round two—we know that Hart will want to play. But the Knicks may think bigger picture and try to convince him to rest.
Think Josh should play? Rest? Air it out in the comments below.
