Josh Hart will always find a way to throw a jab at his New York Knicks teammate, Jalen Brunson.
It’s all harmless fun, though, and he did it again following the Knicks’ 136-110 drubbing of the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y., on Tuesday.
Hart had an incredible night at the Garden, as he erupted for 33 efficient points, shooting 12/13 from the field and going 5/5 from behind the arc. He added 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in only 26 minutes of action.
Asked after the game about when he knew he would have such a big night, the 31-year-old Hart took that as an opportunity to rib Brunson.
“When I knew Jalen wasn’t playing, so he wasn’t going to hog the ball,” Hart responded.
You can watch that part of the postgame interview here.
Q: "When did you know you were going to have this kind of night?"
— NBA (@NBA) March 18, 2026
HART: "When I knew Jalen wasn't playing so he wasn't going to hog the ball." 😂
What a night for Josh Hart! https://t.co/1H88SKoyeC pic.twitter.com/wq8eZ1kCc6
Brunson was ruled out for the Pacers game just before the contest started with a right ankle injury. Indiana was also an ideal opponent for New York to rest its most important player, as the lightweight Pacers entered the game with only 15 wins on the season and already eliminated from contention for the NBA Playoffs.
Hart’s performance made him just the fourth Knick in franchise history to rack up at least 30 points on a 90% or better shooting from the floor.
Hart and Brunson go way back, as they were teammates during their days with the Villanova Wildcats, and that closeness allows them to take shots at each other without it all being bitterly personal.
