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Josh Hart delivered one of the coldest mic’d-up quotes in the NBA during the New York Knicks‘ stirring 102-93 Game 4 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
“You get regular rebounds, I get rebounds that break teams–offensive rebounds [that lead to] 3s, I do that,” Hart told his teammate Mitchell Robinson, the league’s leading offensive rebounder. “At the end of the game, I do that.”
What makes it colder is he delivered it within Cleveland center Jarrett Allen’s earshot.
Hart pulled down two offensive rebounds inside the final 1:48 of Game 4, with the first leading to a Jalen Brunson 3-pointer that gave them a 97-87 lead. He did it again 48 seconds later. This time, it led to an RJ Barrett floater that served as the dagger.
Hart is one of the major reasons the Knicks are in command with a 3-1 series lead. His effort in crashing the boards has helped the team grab 58 offensive rebounds, which they cashed into 71 second-chance points in the series’ first four games. They are plus-16 in the offensive glass and plus-19 in second-chance points.
The 6-foot-5 Hart is averaging a Knicks’ third-best 6.8 rebounds in the series. Only Robinson (7.8) and Julius Randle (7.0), both frontcourt players standing 6’8 and above, are rebounding better than him in the team. Hart is tied with backup center Isaiah Hartenstein as the team’s second-best offensive rebounder with 2.3 per game behind Robinson’s 4.5.
With Immanuel Quickley struggling offensively in the series, Hart has stepped up. He’s now the Knicks’ fourth-best scorer, averaging 13.5 points, and second in steals, tied with Barrett (1.5 per game) behind Brunson’s series-leading 2.3 per game.
Josh Hart Belts out the Journey’s Hit Song
Hart was also caught singing his heart out to The Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” while on the bench in Game 4.
“I would not play basketball if I could sing, bro,” Hart told a smiling Knicks teammate DaQuan Jeffries. “If I could sing, bro, I’m going on tour.”
ESPN anchor Mike Breen described Hart’s version of The Journey’s hit song as “terrific,” drawing laughs from the rest of the TV crew.
The Journey’s hit song encapsulates the Knicks’ playoff run so far as they are on the verge of a first-round upset of the higher-seeded Cavaliers.
Josh Hart Intends to Re-Sign With the Knicks
Hart isn’t going anywhere. He’s found a home in New York and plans to re-sign with the Knicks in the offseason after declining his $12.9 million player option.
“I want bigger things for my wife and myself,” Hart told Andscape last month. “Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York. I would love for it to be New York, and hopefully, the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I’m making sure my family’s fully taken care of. So, I’ve also got to take that into account, too.”
While the Knicks remain tightlipped, it is believed that they did not cough up a lottery-protected first-round pick for a half-year rental of Hart. The Knicks hold Hart’s Bird rights, meaning they could exceed the salary cap to retain the high-impact guard.
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