Tag: Josh Hart

Josh Hart confirms he thanked ref Scott Foster after Knicks Game 2 win, but for a good reason

Can we put this conspiracy theory to bed please?

Hey, Miami Heat fans? You can stop with the conspiracy theories now.

After the New York Knicks’ Game 2 win over the Heat on Tuesday night in their Eastern semifinals series, a clip of Josh Hart went around Twitter a bunch of times.

Per lipreaders, it looked like Hart was yelling, “Scott! Scott! Appreciate you!” That would presumably be Scott Foster, the referee known for officiating games that Chris Paul loses (until recently!).

Does that mean Hart was thanking a referee for making calls that went the Knicks’ way? Is that not OK?

Well, it turns out Hart DID say that … and as he noted on Twitter, it’s something he does after every game with officials:

Can we move on? Thanks.

A mic’d-up Josh Hart unleashed a hilariously bad rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’ during Game 4

Josh Hart traded basketball for singing just for a bit during the Knicks’ playoff win over the Cavs on Sunday.

As the New York Knicks went up 3-1 on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Josh Hart couldn’t help but have some musical fun on the sideline.

New York’s 102-93 home victory over Cleveland has the team on the cusp of advancing with one more victory, and Hart’s overall strong play this postseason has been a a big boost there.

With the team playing well, Hart showed off his pipes by belting the beloved Journey pop hit “Don’t Stop Believin'” on the sideline at Madison Square Garden.

Hart jokes in the video that if he were a professional singer, he wouldn’t have been a basketball player. We’ll let you be the judge of his singing abilities.

Hart’s not quite as bad compared to some of the people we hear sing everyday, but he might still be a more formidable presence on the court than on the concert stage.

Nonetheless, he’s giving New York fans plenty to sing about as they celebrate an impressive Knicks postseason so far.

Josh Hart, king of not getting high fives, had to self dap after Jimmy Butler left him hanging

Josh Hart keeps not getting the high five.

This has happened to Josh Hart before.

Like, a lot.

Back when he was a Laker, he would want high fives and not get one many times. So he would self dap, and that would be that. See below for a breakdown!

Well, it happened again on Wednesday night. After his New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat, he tried to give a high five to Jimmy Butler, who looked busy talking to someone else. So you’ll see Hart try and then right at the end, give his classic self-dap to complete the missed high five.

Too good! C’mon, Jimmy!

 

Exactly.

Could Josh Hart be a good free agent target for the Lakers?

There is a possibility Knicks wing Josh Hart will become a free agent this summer. Should the Lakers go after him?

When the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the New York Knicks on Sunday, it was a mini-reunion of sorts. The game marked the return of Julius Randle and Josh Hart to the city they began their NBA careers in.

Randle was drafted by the Lakers in 2014 and spent his first four seasons with them. Hart, the 30th pick of the 2017 draft, played his first two pro seasons with the Purple and Gold.

Hart did well against his former team, scoring eight points and hitting 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go along with eight rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes.

Alex Kirschenbaum of Sports Illustrated surmised that perhaps Hart would be a nice free agent target for L.A. this summer.

Via Sports Illustrated:

“The 28-year-old defensive-oriented wing has been the ultimate glue guy in New York. The team instantly went on a nine-game winning streak after it traded for him, and really seems to be a frisky playoff pseudo-contender in the East with his addition. He has a $12.6 million player option for the 2023-24 NBA season. He’s been an outstanding fit with New York, and seems more likely than not to re-sign there if anything.

“That said, should he want to look around, Hart could be in line for a decent raise this summer. The Lakers have a few big cap decisions to make this summer, but could find a way to carve out room for Hart if they wanted to.”

D’Angelo Russell had a ruthless response about his lack of a relationship with Julius Randle

“I’m not really friends with anybody, to be honest. On the court, it’s no love.”

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D’Angelo Russell has played very well for the Lakers and has done it with extreme confidence both on and off the court.

Los Angeles drafted Russell as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft but traded him in 2017. He was re-acquired by the franchise before the trade deadline, and he has since stepped up as a team leader while LeBron James is sidelined with an injury.

The guard recorded 28 points and 9 assists during a victory over the Raptors on Friday, then dropped 33 points and 8 assists against the Knicks on Sunday. But it wasn’t enough to defeat New York, led by a 33-point performance from Russell’s former teammate Julius Randle.

After the game, the Lakers guard was asked if it brought back any emotions playing against Randle. Here is what Russell said:

“I’m a fan of his game. No relationship. We played together [and] went our separate ways after that. It’s just been competitive energy ever since then. That’s how I am with everybody. I’m not really friends with anybody, to be honest. On the court, it’s no love. You just want to battle and try to get the win and maybe shake hands after.”

At least Russell acknowledged that he was a fan of Randle’s game. But that’s ice-cold stuff from the former No. 2 overall pick. Sheesh!

The Tip-Off

For The Win

NBA content from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

I wrote about the top NBA draft prospects who will participate in the upcoming March Madness tournament. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Houston’s Jarace Walker is an incredibly impactful defender more than capable of guarding both the ball handler and the screener in the pick-and-roll. Opponents are shooting just 29.7 percent in the paint when he is on the floor, per CBB Analytics.”

You can check out the full list here.

One to Watch

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

(All odds via Tipico.)

Bucks (-1.5, -130) vs. Kings (+110), O/U 243.5, 10:00 PM ET

With all apologies to Grizzlies-Mavericks and the growing rivalry between Dillon Brooks and literally everyone in the league, this is the matchup of the night. Sacramento has the best offense in the NBA and the Bucks have the second-best defense. This should be fun.

Shootaround

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

— Ranking all 68 of the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament teams by mascot

— 4 teams with the hardest path to the 2023 Men’s Final Four (including Duke)

— 5 decisions (Kansas out West!?) the NCAA men’s selection committee absolutely got wrong

— North Carolina quickly declined an NIT invitation after a historic NCAA tournament miss

Force, Capps, Coughlin, Herrera No. 1 qualifiers for NHRA Gatornationals

Top Fuel’s Josh Hart picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at this weekend’s 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, beating Mike Salinas in the final round to win the bonus event in front of a sellout …

Top Fuel’s Josh Hart picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at this weekend’s 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, beating Mike Salinas in the final round to win the bonus event in front of a sellout crowd at Gainesville Raceway.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hart, a local Ocala native, put together a run of 3.748s at 331.53mph in his 11,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster, knocking off Salinas who went up in smoke on the starting line in the specialty race. Hart beat Austin Prock and defending world champ Force to reach the final round. Two years ago, Hart won in Gainesville in his Top Fuel debut, following it up with Saturday’s impressive showing.

“First of all, I guess I’ll just say that nice guys don’t finish last,” Hart said. “The team gets all the credit. That consistency to get it done every time makes me so very, very proud of the team. It’s a huge, huge accomplishment for our team. To go out and win a specialty race right off the trailer is pretty awesome. But I’m just the jockey that gets to hit the gas.

“I don’t think I knew I was supposed to be nervous or knew that I was supposed to have butterflies two years ago but when you taste it, and then it gets taken away from you and your sophomore season you want to get back to that place. I think we found a little bit of magic and Gainesville has always been good to us. We’ll do our best to get this thing in the winner’s circle more often.”

Force’s 3.699s at 336.99mph from Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster handed the defending world champion her 43rd top spot. She’ll open eliminations against Keith Murt, while Steve Torrence jumped to second with a 3.723s at 331.36mph. Doug Kalitta is third with a 3.723s at 327.82mph.

“It was a bummer to lose out on the All-Star Callout, but we got the No. 1 qualifier,” Force said. “We felt good going into (the Callout) and got to the semifinals, but we got beat, so our bigger focus now is race day tomorrow. We’ll put today behind us, and got in that last qualifying session, which was good, solid run for us.

“It’s outstanding, to be in different conditions run in and still be able to run that. We missed it the one time in the Callout, but we all feel pretty good.”

In Funny Car, Capps opened his title defense with an outstanding run to close out qualifying, going 3.874s at 333.25mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. It gives Capps 36 No. 1 qualifiers in his standout career, and he’ll open race day against Terry Haddock. Capps lost in the final round of the season-opener last year and ended with his second straight world title, which has him hoping for a big showing this weekend in Gainesville.

“We all talked about how tough it was going to and you saw it in the last session,” Capps said. “Last year I end up winning Indy for the first time in my career, then we win the Callout in the same weekend and then we go on to win the championship and it’s just a dream year. So, it’s almost like how do you top that? But we show up here and we come from behind and we lay down low E.T. My gosh, what a way to start the year.”

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John Force is qualified second with a 3.878s at 332.59mph and Robert Hight was a spot behind after his 3.879s at 333.99mph.

Coughlin made a big move on Saturday in Pro Stock, jumping to the top spot and moving past his teammate, Erica Enders, with a run of 6.515s at 212.29mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. After a breakout season a year ago, which included his first two professional wins, Coughlin is off to a quick start in 2023, taking his third career No. 1 qualifier. He’ll open eliminations against Larry Morgan.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far. Kudos to Elite Motorsports and everyone on our team,” Coughlin said. “They all work hard and we are a complete family. The guys in the engine shop never stop working. I wish everyone could come to our shop and experience it firsthand. It’s just such an honor to be a part of.”

Enders, the reigning world champ, qualified second after going 6.515s at 211.73mph, just missing out on the top qualifier position. Mason McGaha took third thanks to his run of 6.519s at 211.59mph.

Making his debut for Vance and Hines, rising Pro Stock Motorcycle star Gaige Herrera enjoyed a tremendous day on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki, delivering a 6.685s at 203.49mph, breaking the track speed record. Herrera made his PSM debut last year and joined the Vance and Hines team in the off-season. He’s made a strong impression already and will go for his first win on Sunday, opening eliminations against Ron Tornow.

“I honestly don’t have words for this,” Herrera said. “Just being here with the best team in Pro Stock Motorcycle is a dream and then to run 6.68s on back-to-back runs and then go 203mph. It’s been an awesome journey so far. It’s still not real to me. When I got that phone call from (Vance & Hines crew chief) Andrew Hines in November it took a while to sink in. Then I got my new leathers and realized I’d be riding the best bike in the class.”

Steve Johnson’s 6.746s at 198.90mph kept him second and rookie Chase Van Sant took third in his first PSM race with a 6.747s at 200.80mph.

Eliminations for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

Josh Hart had a perfect three-word response to entering the Knicks’ locker room for the first time

Josh Hart is HYPED to be a New York Knick.

Newly acquired New York Knicks forward/guard Josh Hart isn’t hiding his delightful enthusiasm for joining his new team.

After the Portland Trail Blazers traded Hart to the Big Apple, it reunited Hart with his old Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson and sent him to a potential playoff contender in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

Hart seemed absolutely thrilled about the trade, posting what is a very succinct, hilarious snapshot of how he felt seeing his New York jersey.

While Hart might get his Twitter washed out with a bar of soap, the new Knicks player dropped an “f-bomb” to help celebrate his brand-new digs.

Josh Hart’s Tweet

Well, if that doesn’t sum up his positive vibes for joining the Knicks, we’re not sure what will.

Villanova fans will undoubtedly be excited to see Hart and Brunson back in action on a new team. New York fans will hope that Hart’s shooting ability will help propel the team to playoff basketball.

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Knicks’ Jalen Brunson had a perfect reaction when he learned that he was reuniting with Josh Hart

Ladies and gentlemen, your Villanova Knicks!

A lot has changed in the world since Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson won an NCAA championship together for Villanova in 2016.

Hart, who was selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, has now played for three different NBA franchises (Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Portland Trail Blazers) since then. He is now making his way to his fourth professional team as part of a deal with the New York Knicks.

While on the Knicks, Hart will reunite with Brunson, his former collegiate teammate. Brunson would go on to win a second collegiate national title at Villanova in 2018 before turning pro and hearing his name called in the draft later that season.

Brunson coincidentally returned to the Villanova campus on Tuesday evening for a jersey retirement ceremony, which is actually where he was when he got the news that Hart was traded to New York.

The 6-foot-2 guard was clearly thrilled to reunite with his former collegiate running mate and he couldn’t hold back the excitement. Mikal Bridges, the Phoenix Suns wing who was a freshman on that Villanova roster, was also happy to see his teammates reunite:

Ryan Arcidiacono, who was named Big East co-Player of the Year in 2015 and NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2016, was also teammates with Brunson and Hart at Villanova.

Arcidiacono was on the Knicks roster this season but he was actually included in the deal, alongside Cam Reddish, that sent Hart to New York.

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All the players linked to the Miami Heat in trade rumors

The Miami Heat are usually one of the more active teams ahead of the trade deadline every season. They’ve made a mid-season deal in each of the previous five years, ranging from small financially motivated deals to ones involving rotation players. …

The Miami Heat are usually one of the more active teams ahead of the trade deadline every season. They’ve made a mid-season deal in each of the previous five years, ranging from small financially motivated deals to ones involving rotation players.

This season they seemed primed to at least make a small deal, such as one involving Dewayne Dedmon. As mentioned in HoopsHype’s trade guide, the Heat are just $192,895 below the luxury tax and could use some more breathing room so they can do other things around the margins, such as converting Orlando Robinson to a standard contract.

But knowing the Heat, they’ll always be in the mix for adding players who can improve the roster since they’ve been committed to chasing a title since bringing in Jimmy Butler. Depending on the player, they will have the challenge of coming up with a framework that sends trade partners assets while also remaining below the luxury tax. Miami can trade up to three first-round picks now which are likely reserved for an All-Star pursuit. They also have just three second-round picks to offer in smaller scaled deals.

Below is a list of players they’ve been linked to and what a potential framework for them could look like.

Trail Blazers’ Josh Hart nails beautiful three-point buzzer-beater to take down Heat

Blazers!

The Portland Trail Blazers continued the red-hot start to their season Monday night with a brilliant walk-off bucket.

This one came courtesy of forward/guard Josh Hart, who caught a pass right before the buzzer from the perimeter and cleanly shot it through the hoop for three to give Portland a 110-107 win over the Miami Heat.

This is the kind of pressure shot that great teams make, and the Trail Blazers are already raising eyebrows in the Western Conference. Hart’s big bucket should be another reminder of what Portland might be able to do this year.

Hart’s last-second trey was just a textbook buzzer-beater.

Talk about closing with style.

The 7-3 Trail Blazers should be right in the mix this season as the treacherous West continues, and with more plays like this, nobody will want to play Portland.

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