Following last night’s 130-126 road overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the New York Knicks (44-29) are still sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference.
In the loss All-Star guard Jalen Brunson poured in a career-high 61 points (one shy of Carmelo Anthony’s franchise record of 62) on 47 shot attempts, making 25. It’s the most shot taken by a player since the late, great Kobe Bryant took 50 in his final game as a Laker.
Brunson, DiVincenzo and Hart: Knicks Villanova Reconnection
Despite various lineup changes, the Knicks have remained in the thick of the top five seeds in the Eastern Conference. The constants for the Knicks during this time have been All-Star Jalen Brunson and two of his former Villanova Wildcats teammates and close friends, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. Double D has provided the offensive pop alongside Brunson, while Hart has brought the grit and toughness that’s made him a coveted NBA player.
Brunson Clowns Hart On Podcast
During a recent episode of their hit podcast “Roommates Show,” Brunson, who’s been a godsend (averaging 25.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists in two seasons) and a discount ($26 million per season) for the Knicks since being signed in free agency following the 2021-22 season asked, Hart this:
“So what do you get paid to do?”
Hart, the jokester of the group, quickly responded with “Run around like an idiot and just f*ck sh*t up.”
That’s exactly what Hart does too. The undersized wing (6 feet 4) is one of the better rebounders in the league, averaging over eight per game to go along with nine points and four assists. Hart is also asked to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player some nights while also helping rebound and even guarding bigger post players.
He seems to thrive in that role, and because of that he got the bag (four years, $81 million) last offseason as a junkyard dog type player.
Villanova Trio Paying Huge Dividends In Big Apple
With the aforementioned Brunson playing at an MVP-level, the Knicks have been able to tread water despite the injuries. But it’s also been the shooting and defense of DiVincenzo, who’s third in the NBA with a career-high 239 made threes, trailing only Steph Curry and Luka Doncic.
Hart brings all the intangibles that you’d want in a player. The trio’s former head coach at Villanova, Jay Wright had high praise for his guys during a recent appearance on USA Today’s “Sports Seriously.”
“It’s cool when you see a night where all three of them score in double figures and the Knicks get a win and they’re contending. I think they got a great shot in the East to play for an NBA championship.”
Fully healthy, Wright might be onto something, but they’ll need a healthy Randle and Anunoby to have any shot at that.
