Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks head coach, wants Josh Hart to consider his words. On Wednesday night, New York beat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-119 in overtime. Hart scored 10 points in that game with 12 rebounds and 17 assists. OG Anunboy dropped 17, and Mikal Bridges added 23. Jalen Brunson scored 16 of his 38 points in the 4th quarter to help grab the win. New York then played the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, losing 116-99.
Tom Thibodeau Needs Josh Hart to Let His Play Do the Talking
Hart took exception to New York’s recent slide before the win over the 76ers. He criticized teammates for caring more about their individual success than the team’s. In speaking with SNY after the 126-101 loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 10, Hart mentioned a habit of excessive individuality in the wake of the loss. Hart’s efforts were not enough, as they dropped that game against the Chet Holmgren-less Thunder.
Hart was more positive in the overtime win, getting a triple-double. New York is seeking to recover from their 116-99 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out from the game with a thumb injury. The ex-Timberwolves star sprained his right thumb against Detroit on Jan. 13. Anthony-Towns has been a massive piece for the Knicks, and not having him in the lineup affects New York drastically. Even with Towns, Thibodeau and his Knicks still need some help with depth, especially in the frontcourt.
Hart said, “It’s an NBA season. There’s going to be peaks and valleys. There are going to be games where we shoot the lights out, and there are going to be games where we can’t buy a shot. We’ve got to make sure we are focused and give off the right energy. We can’t have our own individual agendas. Can’t do any of that, we’ve got to make sure we’re locked in on this team, sacrificing for this team.”
Hart did not mention any specific teammate, but he called out the team after the Oklahoma City game. After the overtime win against Philadelphia, Tom Thibadeau responded to Hart’s comments postgame.
Thibodeau’s Response to Hart’s Comments
Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Times, Thibodeau said, “I think oftentimes the next day after you look at the film, you’re putting a mic in front of someone after a game. Sometimes they may say things; we may all say things that we wish we had not said until you watch the film the next day. And then there’s usually a pretty good reason why something occurred. So before you say something, you should probably think.” Although Thibodeau did not mention Hart by name, he addressed Hart’s comments.
Even though the Knicks have had a little bit of a slump, they are still one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, so it would help for them not to be at odds with one another. Whether or not Hart and Thibodeau had a private conversation about his comments, they were able to put it behind them in their win against Philadelphia. Unfortunately, it wasn’t followed up with the loss to Minnesota on Friday night. New York will stay home as they play the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at 3 p.m. Atlanta is coming off a 119-115 overtime victory over the defending champion Celtics.
Final Thoughts
In 42 games this season, Hart averages 14.2 points per game, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists with a 55.6% field goal percentage. In the loss to Minnesota, Hart scored 12 points with three steals and nine rebounds. When struggles come, frustrations can arise, and sometimes players or coaches will say things they shouldn’t by mistake.
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