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Villanova in the Pros

Villanova in the Pros: Another Day, Another Josh Hart Triple-Double

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Villanova Basketball

Former Villanova Wildcat Josh Hart posted a triple-double for the second game in a row on Wednesday, Jan. 1, helping the New York Knicks welcome the new year with their ninth straight win.

Hart dropped 15 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a team-high 45 minutes, adding a steal and a block as the Knicks picked up an easy 119-103 home win over the Utah Jazz. Hart’s 12 assists ties a career best… although his increased passing also came with a cost, as he notched a career high in turnovers, coughing it up seven times.

Hart has done it all for the Knicks this season, serving as a steady defensive presence on the wing and filling in wherever else head coach Tom Thibodeau asks him to. That ability proved crucial in the New Year’s Day win, as fellow Villanova alumnus Jalen Brunson sat out with calf tightness — a home game against the Jazz, second-worst in the Western Conference, providing an excellent opportunity for him to heal up. Then Deuce McBride, Brunson’s backup at the point, went down with hamstring tightness during warm ups.

Even with little warning time, Hart stepped up with gusto, helping to facilitate the Knicks offense… even if he endured some growing pains in doing so.

2018 Villanova alumnus Mikal Bridges, meanwhile, played second fiddle to Karl Anthony-Towns, dropping 27 points in 44 minutes on the court.

Right now, the Knicks sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, their nine game winning streak powering them to a 24-10 record that’s half a game behind the Boston Celtics for second. New York will next take the court at 8 p.m. in Oklahoma City, facing a red hot Thunder team that possesses the NBA’s longest active winning streak at 12 games.

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