NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� On a night when Josh Hart that stood for 56 years, he decided to give the game ball to a teammate who played three minutes.
It was just one more unselfish play in a season full of them for the eight-year veteran.
Hart broke the Knicks鈥� franchise record for single-season triple-doubles (9), which star player-turned-broadcaster Walt 鈥淐lyde鈥� Frazier set in 1969, by posting 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in on Tuesday night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a great, high-character group of guys. It means I鈥檝e played at least nine good games so far.鈥�
Still, Hart gave the game ball from the win to Kevin McCullar Jr., who scored his first NBA basket in his first NBA game after a lengthy rehab process from a left-knee injury.
鈥淔or me, that鈥檚 an easy decision,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淭hat record is cool and a blessing, but that record is going to get broken at some point, hopefully later rather than sooner. But getting your first NBA points: No one can take that away from you. It鈥檚 important he got the game ball for that, and that鈥檚 an easy decision for me.鈥�
Hart did not have a triple-double over his first six NBA seasons, which was spread between the Lakers, Pelicans and Trail Blazers.
But Hart has become a stat sheet-filling machine in his two-plus seasons in New York. Hart has 15 triple-doubles over the past two seasons, equaling LeBron James鈥� total in that span and exceeded only by Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
鈥淭he way he does it is special,鈥� said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all energy and effort and for the betterment of the team.
鈥淚鈥檓 just happy that Josh gets stats on the sheet that shows the impact he鈥檚 making on the game, because I feel there鈥檚 much more stats that don鈥檛 show up on the stat sheet that he does for our team. So I鈥檓 happy he鈥檚 having this moment where the effort, the sacrifice he puts in for our team to be the best version of ourselves is showing up on the stat sheet.鈥�
Hart鈥檚 historic performance was equaled by one from Towns as well. The duo became the in the same game in the franchise鈥檚 79-season history.
鈥�(Hart) breaking the (triple-double) record was a great accomplishment,鈥� Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. 鈥淭o have (Towns) do it as well, that鈥檚 pretty special.鈥�
Towns had six assists in the first quarter and had equaled his season high (7) by halftime. He capped his third career triple-double 鈥� and first since Jan. 30, 2022, with the Minnesota Timberwolves 鈥� in the third quarter before finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
鈥淓arly on in the game it just seemed like the cuts (to the basket) were open,鈥� Towns said. 鈥淢y teammates were trusting me off the ball in the middle of the floor, and I just wanted to repay them for that trust.鈥�
Hart remembered playing alongside James and then-Lakers teammate Lonzo Ball when each recorded a triple-double in Los Angeles鈥� win over the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 15, 2018. He appreciated being a part of NBA history twice.
鈥淚 was in LA when (James and Ball) did it, and that sounded really dope,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淣ow it鈥檚 full circle and I鈥檓 in that same situation with (Towns), and it was really dope. It was a blessing.鈥�
Yet, more importantly for Towns, who improved to 2-1 in games where he had double-digit points, rebounds and assists, was the win. The Knicks improved to 45-26 and won their second straight.
鈥淚t means a lot that we got it in a win,鈥� Towns said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, New York appreciates the wins more than the triple-doubles. So it鈥檚 perfect for the city that they got a 鈥榃鈥� on this day.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Pat Pickens, The Associated Press
