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Since arriving on the New York Knicks roster at the February 9 trade deadline, Jos Hart has been an integral member of the team’s rotation.
When speaking to the media following New York’s 123-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Hart’s former team, the veteran wing spoke about the experience of being part of a playoff push for one of the first times in his career and how that is giving him a renewed energy to close out the season.
“It’s great,” Hart said, “I think this team was trending upwards when I got here, and I was able to just fit right in and continue to help this team grow…I’m in a new position right now, where I’m sitting here and we’re really playing for something. I haven’t really been in that position before in my career, and I think that’s just making myself even more hungry, and the rest of the guys in the locker room.”
Hart ended the game against the Trail Blazers with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field, and 40% from deep, in a performance where he flirted with a triple-double statline.
Josh Hart Heaps Praise on Miles McBride
During New York’s latest victory, Miles McBride caught the eye, ending the game with 18 points in what was a career night for him on the offensive end while also playing solid defense, both individually and as part of the overall team.
During the same post-game press conference, Hart heaped praise on the sophomore guard’s performance and commitment to improving his game.
“It shows his work,” Hart said, “Because it’s a long season. It’s an up-and-down season. There’s gonna be times where you’re gonna play well, you play good, you don’t play at all. And he was going through that. He’s been giving us good minutes on this road trip. Tonight was just an example of how hard he’s been working and how he’s still locked in. We’re just happy for him.”
McBride, 22, is back in the Knicks rotation due to the absence of Jalen Brunson. However, the sophomore guard has continued to put in work this season and has participated in 56 games for the Knicks this season, providing them with averages of 3.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 36% from the field and 31.1% from deep.
Miles McBride Prasies Knicks Defense
Following his career night, Miles McBride discussed the challenge of guarding Damian Lillard and credited the Knicks for a team effort in keeping the superstar guard contained throughout the contest.
“He’s obviously one of the best players in the league,” McBride said, “He’s crafty, shifty, can make tough shots, so the best thing you can do is just contain him and guard him as a team. It was a great challenge for me, and I think we did what we needed to do today.”