The Houston Rockets handed the New York Knicks their third straight loss on Tuesday, blowing them out 111-94 at Toyota Center. The Knicks appear to have lost their way after going on a seven-game win streak, and Josh Hart made an honest admission in his postgame media session.
“I just think we’re not going in the right direction,” Hart said, via SNY. “We’re not trending upwards. So, we’ve got to figure it out. It was three tough ones. We’ve got another one tomorrow. That’s a must-win for us, and build from there.”
The Knicks take on the 25-50 Memphis Grizzlies next on Wednesday at FedExForum. Lose to those lowly Grizzlies and the alarm bells would start ringing, if they haven’t already.
You had expected the Knicks to put in a strong showing against the Rockets here after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets. To say they didn’t would be an understatement. The Rockets jumped out to a 14-1 lead in the opening minutes and led by as many as 21 points on the night.
“That effort, the attention to detail, the discipline was pretty embarrassing,” Hart said. “So, we’ve got to figure it out, make sure we’re all locked in mentally to get where we want to go and, like I said, build on that.”
Hart finished with 13 points (5-12 FG), five rebounds, and two assists against the Rockets as the Knicks dropped to 48-28. The 31-year-old was just one of many who failed to deliver on the night.
Jalen Brunson is often the savior for these Knicks, but he only had 12 points (5-14 FG), six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. Mikal Bridges was an even bigger no-show offensively, putting up just seven points (3-4 FG), three rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Bridges’ play has been a big talking point lately, with ESPN analyst and Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith criticizing the forward. Those comments did not go down well in that locker room.
Last week, Hart called Smith a part-time Knicks fan who needs to shut up. To no one’s surprise, the controversial talking head did not take that well. Smith fired shots at Hart then and has now done it again on First Take on Wednesday.
“A message to Josh Hart,” Smith said. “Do I need to shut the hell up now? Does it make sense what I was saying now? I mean, are you getting it now? You haven’t won a game since you clapped back at me. You’re on a losing streak since he talked smack about me.
“Maybe if y’all prioritize what the hell I was saying and pay attention to the substance and the veracity of my comments instead of protecting your boys, you’d be winning games when you go up against teams that’s better than .500 with their record,” Smith stated. “Do I make sense now? Because I ain’t getting personal, I’m talking basketball.
“And every time you go up against somebody that’s relatively respectable, you’re wetting the bed,” Smith continued. “You’re like 4-8 or 4-9 against winning teams since the All-Star break, but you’re 9-0 against sub-500 teams. Well, who the hell do you think you’re gonna be playing come playoff time?
“The New York Knicks are literally a couple of weeks away from the playoffs starting,” Smith added. “And Josh Hart is on camera talking about ‘We’re moving in the wrong direction. We gotta get our stuff together.’ We’re looking at a team that still doesn’t have a definitive identity.”
The only way Hart can get Smith to shut up is by winning a title. The Knicks were looked at as one of the favorites to win the East before the season, but they’re stumbling at the worst possible time. Can they get their act together? We’ll find out soon enough.
