Getty Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks reacts after being injured in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers.
There is no doubt in Jalen Brunson‘s mind that Josh Hart will play in Game 7 despite suffering an abdominal soreness in the New York Knicks‘ 116-103 loss against the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
“I would assume he’s playing,” Brunson told reporters. “It’s Game 7.”
Hart, who is used to playing 48 minutes, asked to be subbed out in the fourth quarter. Then he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Hart, the Knicks’ iron man who has played the entire 48 minutes in four of their 12 playoff games, suffered the injury five minutes into Game 6.
“Yes, Josh asked to come out, but he went back in and gave everything he has,” Brunson said. “What more can you ask for from a teammate? Knowing the situation, we’re just going to have each other backs.”
Josh Hart asked Thibs to be subbed out of game after attempting to play through apparent injury
He returned to the game minutes later
Hart played with obvious pain for the rest of the game. He wound up with only 8 rebounds, way below his playoff-leading 12.2-rebound average, and 5 points on 2 of 8 shooting in 31 minutes.
“Obviously, something must have been really wrong, but I saw him come back in the game and continue the fight,” Brunson said. “I wasn’t really necessarily worried or anything. I guess you can just add it to the list.”
Hart joins the long Knicks injury list, which already had Julius Randle (shoulder), OG Anunoby (calf), Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot and wrist).
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was non-committal about Hart’s availability for Game 7.
“We’ll see,” Thibodeau told reporters.
But his teammates believe Hart would not miss the chance to close out the series at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, May 19.
“Just knowing Josh, he’ll do whatever to play,” Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein added. “If his leg’s not falling off … he’ll probably say that he’ll probably play.”
Jalen Brunson Owns Game 6 Loss
Brunson shouldered the blame for the Knicks’ Game 6 loss despite Hart’s unfortunate injury took away of their rebounding strength.
The Pacers, Brunson said, adjusted as he ran into a triple teams in the first half.
“They try and make ways, make things difficult,” Brunson told reporters. “I have to adjust as well. They’re showing me different looks, and I have to do a better job at reading it. I can’t be what I was for the first 40 minutes of the game.”
Brunson finished with 31 points but not after scoring only five in the first half. He missed his last 11 shots before halftime, the worst shooting stretch of his career.
“There really isn’t any excuse for anything,” Brunson continued. “You just have to give them credit for playing really well.”
OG Anunoby Day-to-Day
Despite ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that Anunoby will not play in Game 7, Thibodeau did not rule him out yet especially in the wake of Hart’s injury.
“The Knicks are going to have to beat Indiana without OG Anunoby,” Wojnarowski said prior to Game 6. “I’m told he would also be out for a Game 7 with that hamstring.”
Woj: “The Knicks are going to have to beat Indiana in this series without OG Anunoby. I’m told he would also be out for a Game 7 with that hamstring. If the Knicks could somehow advance…Could he be available for Game 1 Tuesday in Boston?”
But according to Thibodeau, the Knicks medical team has labeled Anunoby’s status as “day-to-day.”
Anunoby has been out since injuring his left hamstring in the second half of Game 2.
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