MIAMI — Josh Hart started Wednesday night as questionable with a contused lower leg and finished with game highs in rebounds and minutes in a 116-107 win over the Heat.
Hart, who owns the team’s longest active games played streak at 57 (counting the playoffs), said he felt pain early but powered through while collecting 14 boards in 42 minutes.
He also connected on a critical layup off a cut with less than three minutes remaining, giving the Knicks an eight-point lead that Karl-Anthony Towns carried to the final buzzer.
Two nights earlier against Cleveland, Hart was accidentally kicked in the leg by Caris LeVert.
Hart asked out of that game with four minutes remaining.
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“It started swelling up then,” Hart said. “It was just one of those things where I didn’t want to be too prideful and be like, ‘No I’m good, I can play,’ and then not be able to be myself or defend or rebound at the level I do, especially at the end of the game.