Josh Hart’s Injury Update
Josh Hart’s injury update feels like a sigh of relief after a moment that looked bad and felt even worse if you were watching the Knicks' preseason opener. You know that pit in your stomach when someone goes down awkwardly and grabs their lower back, and you’re just waiting for the trainers to run out there? That was Hart. He fought for a rebound, ended up on the floor without contact, and stayed down in visible pain. The whole sequence made the Philadelphia bench look queasy, and Nick Nurse (the Sixers coach) even started waving like a worried parent at a Little League game. Play stopped, the Knicks' medical team rushed over, and in the stands, fans probably did the classic clutch-their-own-back sympathy wince.
On Twitter, @ESPNNBA clarified via @WindhorstESPN that Josh Hart didn’t return in the Knicks vs. 76ers preseason opener because he was ejected, not due to an injury.
Hart, frustrated and hurting, threw the ball hard into the stands, straight up airmailed it, which, naturally, earned him a technical foul and a proper ejection. The crazy part? He was out of the game because of the ejection, not the injury, with everyone left to wonder how serious it was. For a moment there, rumors were flying that some folks thought he could be missing significant time for the Knicks. Hart had only played seven minutes, already picking up a couple of points and rebounds with his usual hustle, before everything came to a screeching halt.
On Twitter, @KnicksMuse reported that Josh Hart got injured and was also ejected from the game.
Afterwards, Knicks coach Mike Brown did the press rounds and tried to calm nerves by saying Hart was just dealing with “lower back soreness” and would be listed day-to-day. NBA insiders echoed that not a long-term thing, more of a “wait and see how he feels by tomorrow” deal. Hart posted his own update, joking around on social media and cleverly referencing a comedy film scene where someone gets told there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Gotta respect a guy who keeps his sense of humor after all that.
Hart is already managing a surgically repaired finger and will apparently have to wear a splint all season. Typical Hart, though; he’s the kind of player Knicks fans love, pushing through pain, logging crazy minutes, doing whatever’s needed, all for a team that’s dreaming of another deep playoff run. He was last year’s NBA “minutes guy”, so nobody’s really betting against him bouncing back. As of now, it’s just lower back soreness, not drama. If you had money on which Knicks injury would make headlines first, well, collect your payout and move on. I’ve seen rec league guys milk less dramatic falls for free drinks. Hart just gets a day off and a bunch of supportive memes.
