Knicks' Josh Hart Jokes Celtics Should Be Drug Tested

Josh Hart was dumbfounded by the Boston Celtics after they beat the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 23, 2024

Feb 24, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks suffered a blow in their season opener against the Boston Celtics, where they lost 132-109 at TD Garden.

In the game, the Celtics made an NBA-record 29 3-pointers in the blowout victory, which had Josh Hart shook in his postgame interview.

“The NBA needs to drug test them dudes," Hart said h/t Posting and Toasting. "I ain’t ever seen anything like that.”

Later, Hart would set the jokes aside and praise the Celtics for their performance.

“They tied an NBA record in 3s. I mean, you always have about three to four games a year where a team just shoots the ball at an absurd clip and sometimes there’s not much you can do about it. We shot 58 percent," Hart said. “There was some bad defensive breakdowns and lack of communication. You’ve just got to give them credit. Man, they had amazing energy, ring night, and they came out and shot the ball at a clip that I think we’ve only seen once before.”

The Celtics won't make 29 shots from distance in every game they play this season, but they caught the Knicks on an uncharacteristically bad defensive night and took advantage.

The Knicks will be making adjustments all year long when it comes to their defense, especially early on as they navigate how to incorporate Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns into the mix. Because the Knicks have two huge pieces added to the team, everyone has to make some sort of adjustment, including Hart.

It's up to coach Tom Thibodeau to figure out what the right buttons are to push, and that could take some trial and error early in the season. That's why facing established teams like the Celtics early is a disadvantage. But now, the Knicks know where they stand and can move from there.

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Published Oct 23, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.