Josh Hart ACTIVE For Knicks' MSG Showdown vs. Utah
The Utah Jazz better be prepared for a Villanova duet when they face the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Per Ian Begley of SNY, Josh Hart will make his metropolitan debut when the Knicks return to home to battle the hosts of the upcoming NBA All-Star Game (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). Hart is the newest Manhattanite after coming over in a trade that sent Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, and Svi Mykhailiuk to Portland less than 24 hours before the annual transactional deadline.
The former Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Laker, and New Orleans Pelican will wear the No. 3, which was worn by rookie Trevor Keels earlier this season (Keels has since switched to No. 0). Previous wearers include John Starks and Stephon Marbury.
Hart was with the Knicks when the team returned to his former collegiate stomping grounds of Wells Fargo Center on Friday night but did not dress for the 119-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Head coach Tom Thibodeau did confirm that Hart passed his physical and the Knicks made the trade official.
Having collaborated with current Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson during Villanova's hardwood heyday, Hart is no stranger to big moments at Madison Square Garden, the host of the annual Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. In his final Big East showing at the 2017 tournament final against Creighton, for example, Hart put in a game-best 29 points as the Wildcats rolled to a 74-60 victory. Earlier this season, Hart pulled in a career-best 19 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, helping them secure a 132-129 victory over the Knicks back in November.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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