The New York Knicks secured an impressive win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, March 25.
Karl-Anthony Towns was one of the best players on the floor during that contest. The veteran big man ended the night with a triple-double. His statline read like this: 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
During his postgame news conference, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd shared his thoughts on Towns’ performance.
“He’s one of the best [centers] out there,” Kidd said. “He can stretch floor, put it on floor; his passing. He was finding cutters tonight, and that put us in a bad way. We were trying to pay attention to him, but he’s finding teammates tonight, and that made the game easy for him.”
Towns is in his first season with the Knicks. He was acquired during the offseason and has quickly formed a stellar offensive partnership with Jalen Brunson. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Towns wasn’t the only member of the Knicks rotation to secure a triple-double statline. Veteran forward Josh Hart secured the feat for the ninth time this season.
Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau Praises Hart
Hart’s ninth triple-double of the season saw him break a long-standing record set by Walt Frazer. During his postgame news conference, head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Hart’s performance and his importance to the Knicks roster.
“Any time you get a record, it’s special because of the greatness of this league,” Thibodeau said. “To do what he’s doing is a testament to what he’s put into it, and also his teammates, feeding off each other. It’s hard to describe what he is to the time. At times, he’s a facilitator, he’s a rebounder, he’s a pace guy, he’s a hustle guy. At the end, he’s done a number of things that help you win.”
Hart has become the de facto emotional leader of this Knicks team. His energy and hustle are infectious. As such, it’s understandable that both Thibodeau and his teammates are happy to celebrate his success.
Hart Recently Held the Knicks Accountable
On Wednesday, March 19, the Knicks fell to a shock 115-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, Hart held his teammates accountable, questioning the team’s effort as a collective.
“The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said. “We’re not doing what it takes, we’re not doing the extra effort, we’re not giving energy. And we’re crying to refs…We can be more aggressive defensively on the ball. We can be more assertive offensively. Not being stagnant, communicating better. I think we got outrebounded by 14 today. A lot of that is effort. None of that takes talent. None of that is schemes and those kinds of things.”
Every contending team needs a player like Hart. They need someone to hold the group accountable while also leading by example. Hart plays with intensity and non-stop energy, making it almost impossible not to follow suit. If he can continue playing at his current level moving forward, he will likely raise the bar for whoever wants to try and break his newly set record.
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