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The once-surging New York Knicks now find themselves amid a lowly two-game losing streak, with their latest defeat coming in a road matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Bested by a final score of 122-117, the outing proved to be a rather inefficient one as both clubs shot sub-32% from distance on the night, coughed up 12 or more turnovers apiece, and committed a total of 46 personal fouls.
Following the outing, an admittedly frustrated Mike Brown went off on a tangent at his post-game presser, noting that his Kings were “not good” despite coming away with the victory and pinpointed their lacking ability to contain Knicks wing Josh Hart as a specific area of disappointment from the night.
“Josh Hart kicked our a**,” Brown said. “He kicked our a**. Nobody put a body on him the entire night.”
Seeing 32 minutes of action against Sacramento, Hart pulled down a whopping 15 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive side, to go along with 9 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 75.0% shooting from the floor and a perfect 100% shooting from deep.
Despite his efforts, particularly in the second-chance opportunities department, the Knicks ultimately could not capitalize on them as they shot a mere 41.6% from the field, and now, after starting his New York tenure with nine-straight wins, the 28-year-old has been found on the wrong side of two consecutive outings.
Brown Gives Love to Knicks Coach
During Mike Brown’s post-game presser, he also made it a point to compliment the job Tom Thibodeau has done now in his third season with the Knicks.
“(I have to) give the Knicks a lot of credit. Good ball club. (Thibodeau) has done a heck of a job with them. They’re physical. They try to play the game the right way. You feel them throughout the course of,” Brown said.
Thibodeau couldn’t help but give praise back to Brown’s Kings following the contest, as he gave them credit for their explosiveness and high-end speed of play.
Knicks in Driver’s Seat to Lock Up Hart
Since he arrived in the Big Apple, it has been the worst-kept secret that Josh Hart is likely to opt out of his current contract this offseason and become a free agent.
However, while the thought of the wing testing the open market could theoretically be perceived as a bit concerning, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and SNY NBA insider writer Ian Begley discussed in a March 9 edition of the HoopsHype Podcast that they’re confident that the Knicks will end up agreeing to terms on a deal with the veteran this summer.
“Hart has almost a $13 million player option this summer, which he’s expected to decline and become a free agent. But fear not Knicks fans — Hart loves the fit in New York and the Knicks want to re-sign him in free agency…” Scotto said. “I don’t see him leaving. I see him getting either a three or four-year deal at some point once he becomes eligible.”
Over the last several weeks, Hart has been rather open about his desire to remain with the Knicks long-term, stating in a February 23 media session: “I want to find a home and this is a place where I would love that home to be.”
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