An X Knicks fan wrote a letter to Josh Hart earlier this week saying he would not post until the Knicks guard scores 30 points.
the heart answered: “That's none of my business, brother. I'll see you on the other side.”
He added a clenched fist and laughing emoji.
Hart was right. His job is not to score many points.
It's about finishing the game like he did on Christmas.
Hart grabbed two offensive rebounds in the final 17.1 seconds to finish off the Spurs, giving the Knicks a 117-114 victory at the Garden on Wednesday.
“It's my job to play like that,” Hart said with a laugh, recalling the exchange on social media.
It was an all-out performance typical of Heart.
In 38 minutes, he did a little bit of everything: 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
He made 4 of 8 field goals, including a huge 3-pointer during a 23-9 run that turned the game around for the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
His biggest contribution came on the final possession.
The Knicks held a three-point lead. Hart rebounded a Jalen Brunson miss with 17.1 seconds left.
Still, the Spurs had a chance to recover even with one more stop.
But after OG Anunoby missed a 3-pointer, Hurts came on again.
The clock has run out.
“Just go out there and make some plays,” Hart said. “That possession defines my work and is why I'm here. I go the extra mile to generate energy.”
Hart is enjoying another strong season while doing small things.
He is averaging 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
By Christmas, his performance made him the Knicks' closer.
“Just the motor, dude. He's always active and that activity allows him to get really good rebounds,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Shout out to Josh. Oh, that's a big rebound.”
