Josh Hart breaks Knicks franchise record with ninth triple-double of the season

NEW YORK (AP) — On a night when Josh Hart broke a New York Knicks franchise record that stood for 56 years, he decided to give the game ball to a teammate who played three minutes.

It was just one more unselfish play in a season full of them for the eight-year veteran.

Hart broke the Knicks’ franchise record for single-season triple-doubles (9), which star player-turned-broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier set in 1969, by posting 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in New York’s 128-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

“It’s a blessing,” Hart said. “I’ve got a great, high-character group of guys. It means I’ve played at least nine good games so far.”

Still, Hart gave the game ball from the win to Kevin McCullar Jr., who scored his first NBA basket in his first NBA game after a lengthy rehab process from a left-knee injury.

“For me, that’s an easy decision,” Hart said. “That record is cool and a blessing, but that record is going to get broken at some point, hopefully later rather than sooner. But getting your first NBA points: No one can take that away from you. It’s important he got the game ball for that, and that’s an easy decision for me.”

Hart did not have a triple-double over his first six NBA seasons, which was spread between the Lakers, Pelicans and Trail Blazers.

But Hart has become a stat sheet-filling machine in his two-plus seasons in New York. Hart has 15 triple-doubles over the past two seasons, equaling LeBron James’ total in that span and exceeded only by Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“The way he does it is special,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. “It’s all energy and effort and for the betterment of the team.

“I’m just happy that Josh gets stats on the sheet that shows the impact he’s making on the game, because I feel there’s much more stats that don’t show up on the stat sheet that he does for our team. So I’m happy he’s having this moment where the effort, the sacrifice he puts in for our team to be the best version of ourselves is showing up on the stat sheet.”

Hart’s historic performance was equaled by one from Towns as well. The duo became the first Knicks teammates to post triple-doubles in the same game in the franchise’s 79-season history.

“(Hart) breaking the (triple-double) record was a great accomplishment,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “To have (Towns) do it as well, that’s pretty special.”

Towns had six assists in the first quarter and had equaled his season high (7) by halftime. He capped his third career triple-double — and first since Jan. 30, 2022, with the Minnesota Timberwolves — in the third quarter before finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

“Early on in the game it just seemed like the cuts (to the basket) were open,” Towns said. “My teammates were trusting me off the ball in the middle of the floor, and I just wanted to repay them for that trust.”

Hart remembered playing alongside James and then-Lakers teammate Lonzo Ball when each recorded a triple-double in Los Angeles’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 15, 2018. He appreciated being a part of NBA history twice.

“I was in LA when (James and Ball) did it, and that sounded really dope,” Hart said. “Now it’s full circle and I’m in that same situation with (Towns), and it was really dope. It was a blessing.”

Yet, more importantly for Towns, who improved to 2-1 in games where he had double-digit points, rebounds and assists, was the win. The Knicks improved to 45-26 and won their second straight.

“It means a lot that we got it in a win,” Towns said. “At the end of the day, New York appreciates the wins more than the triple-doubles. So it’s perfect for the city that they got a ‘W’ on this day.”

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