Josh Hart is insufferable.
It’s a small yet undeniable takeaway of the Knicks’ 106-79 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau yanked Hart, who had complained about playing 40-plus minutes per game in recent weeks, at the 5:55 mark of the fourth quarter when Hart logged 39 minutes and four seconds.
The problem?
At the moment Thibodeau pulled Hart, he had 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
One more board would have given him his first career 20-point, 20-rebound game.
“That would [have been] nice, but Thomas Thibodeau wanted to take me out of the game,” Hart said in the locker room after the game. “Everyone complained about me playing 40 minutes. I could have gotten my 20-20 game, but he took me out. So, appreciate it Thomas.”
Hart had a spirited conversation with Thibodeau on the way to the bench midway through the fourth quarter.
“He’s gonna give me grief about something, so it goes in one ear, out the other,” Thibodeau joked after the game. “But he was terrific. He plays to win, and that’s what I love about him. And so, he’s not a guy that plays for stats, even though his stats were great, unbelievable. But he plays to win, and that’s what makes him so valuable to us.”
Hart seemed conflicted when asked if he would have complained had Thibodeau left him in the game and let his minutes run above 40 in pursuit of rebound No. 20.
“Who knows? Probably. I complain about everything,” he said. “I like messing with people man, so, probably.”
Hart recorded his fourth career triple double on Tuesday. All of his triple-doubles have come since OG Anunoby and Julius Randle left the rotation due to injury on Jan. 27.
Hart doesn’t believe he’s become a triple-double machine.
“No, no, no, no,” he said with a laugh. “I just run around and pray I catch the ball. When I catch the ball, I run around again. That’s about it.”
His head coach believes his value exceeds anything he could provide on a stat sheet.
“He’s a fierce competitor,” Thibodeau said, “and that’s what I love about him.”
