On a night when Josh Hart set a New York Knicks franchise record that stood for 56 years, he chose to give the game ball to a teammate who played just three minutes.
It was another selfless act in a season full of them for the eight-year veteran.
Hart broke the Knicks’ franchise record for single-season triple-doubles (9), which had been set by star player-turned-broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier in 1969. Hart achieved this by posting 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in New York’s 128-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
“It’s a blessing,” Hart said. “I’ve got a great, high-character group of guys. It means I’ve played at least nine good games so far.”
Despite his achievement, 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 long recovery from a left knee injury.
“For me, that’s an easy decision,” Hart said. “That 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’s important he got the game ball for that, and that’s an easy decision for me.”
Hart had not recorded a triple-double in his first six NBA seasons with the Lakers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers. But in his two-plus seasons with New York, Hart has become a stat sheet-filling machine.
He has 15 triple-doubles in the past two seasons, matching LeBron James’ total in that period, and is only surpassed by Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The way he does it is special,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. “It’s all energy and effort and for the betterment of the team.”
“I’m just happy that Josh gets stats on the sheet that shows the impact he’s making on the game, because I feel there’s much more stats that don’t show up on the stat sheet that he does for our team. So I’m happy he’s 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.”
Hart’s historic performance was matched by Towns as well. The two became the first Knicks teammates to post triple-doubles in the same game in the franchise’s 79-season history.
Karl Anthony Towns and Dwight Powell in the 1st half“(Hart) breaking the (triple-double) record was a great accomplishment,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “To have (Towns) do it as well, that’s pretty special.”
Towns had six assists in the first quarter and had equaled his season high (7) by halftime. He finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, marking his third career triple-double — and first since Jan. 30, 2022, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Early on in the game it just seemed like the cuts (to the basket) were open,” Towns said. “My teammates were trusting me off the ball in the middle of the floor, and I just wanted to repay them for that trust.”
Hart remembered playing alongside James and former Lakers teammate Lonzo Ball when they each recorded a triple-double in Los Angeles’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 15, 2018. He appreciated being part of NBA history twice.
“I was in LA when (James and Ball) did it, and that sounded really dope,” Hart said. “Now it’s full circle and I’m in that same situation with (Towns), and it was really dope. It was a blessing.”
But for Towns, what mattered most was the win. The Knicks improved to 45-26 and won their second straight.
“It means a lot that we got it in a win,” Towns said. “At the end of the day, New York appreciates the wins more than the triple-doubles. So it’s perfect for the city that they got a ‘W’ on this day.”
