Even the Knicks’ iron man needs a break.
With 8:05 left in the third quarter of Friday’s Game 3, Josh Hart was benched for the first time this series.
Up to that point, Hart had played every game in the series against the Pacers, totaling 144 minutes in 12 consecutive quarters.
The Knicks were leading the Pacers 75-66 when Hart took the seat and Deuce McBride came off the bench.
But he didn’t stay on the bench for long, returning to the game with 3:13 left in the third inning.
His last break was in Game 6 against the 76ers, in which he still played 46 minutes.
When asked about fatigue earlier, Hart dismissed the idea.
“Our job is to play basketball,” he said Thursday. “People wake up at 6 a.m. and work 12-hour shifts. They’re tired. For us, we’re playing a game… We have to keep that in perspective. not.”
