For once, Josh Hart won’t log over 40 minutes in a playoff game.
The New York Knicks wing was forced to exit Game 6 against the Pacers after suffering an abdominal injury, the team announced Friday.
Hart, 29, had been in pain for most of the game, with coach Tom Thibodeau saying early on in a sideline interview with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth that he’s a tough guy and “he’ll get through it.“
Throughout the game, the wing was wincing in pain, even going so far as to sub himself out in the third quarter to try to deal with the injury. He would eventually leave the game at the 9:53 mark in the fourth and stay on the bench for a minute before heading to the team’s locker room. The Knicks ruled him out soon after.
He finished the game with five points, eight rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes.
Coming into this game, Hart had averaged 43.6 minutes per game, the second-highest mark behind Tyrese Maxey. His 480 total minutes are the most in the playoffs so far.
The Knicks have been hampered by injuries in these playoffs, with Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic out for the remainder of the season. OG Anunoby is also out with an injury but his return date remains unclear.