So much for Mike Brown’s plans to use Josh Hart in smaller spurts.
This was the workload Hart had become accustomed to under Brown’s predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
And he rewarded Brown’s religion with a classic efficiency, recording 19 factors, 15 rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 40 minutes during the Knicks’ 118-109 Black Friday win over the Bucks at Madison Square Garden. He was a team-best plus-15.
“Josh, he’s a baller,” Brown said. “It doesn’t matter what you throw in front of him, he just goes and balls out. That’s what you love about him. He just gets it done in any role that you give him. He’s shown he can help you coming off the bench, he’s definitely shown he can help you as a starter. He’s playing high-level basketball.”
Josh Hart celebrates after a Jalen Brunson bucket during the Knicks’ 118-109 over the Bucks on Nov. 28, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Entering the season, how Brown deliberate on utilizing Hart represented one of the larger adjustments he had in thoughts. Hart began all 77 regular-season video games he performed in last 12 months under Thibodeau.
But Brown instantly did not draw back from publicly proclaiming his intention to convey Hart off the bench.
Hart is a ball of power, and Brown needed to greatest make the most of that with smaller workloads, which he hoped would higher restrict some of the volatility that comes with Hart’s play model.
And for the first 14 video games he appeared in this season, Hart did come off the bench, averaging 26.0 minutes per recreation — means down from the NBA-high 37.6 minutes per recreation he averaged last 12 months.
But accidents to OG Anunoby (hamstring pressure) and Landry Shamet (shoulder sprain) have compelled Brown to alter that plan. Hart began his third straight recreation Friday — and performed over 33 minutes in each.
Josh Hart battles Giannis Antetokounmpo for a unfastened ball during the Knicks’ win over the Bucks. Jason Szenes / New York Post
When Jalen Brunson was aggressively double-teamed in the fourth quarter, Hart performed a essential position as a playmaker.
“I love it,” Hart said. “That’s a position I’m extremely comfortable in. Normally, we get good looks when that happens.”
Mitchell Robinson came off the bench for the second straight recreation — the only two occasions he’s completed that this season.
He recorded six factors and seven rebounds.
All of his factors came during a key stretch in the second quarter, when the Knicks trailed by 11 factors.
“I like what I’ve seen so far. Mitch has given us a great punch off the bench,” Brown said. “His ability, offensive rebounds, against starters or backups, is huge for us. He has to keep bringing that to the table. It just gives us a different look with our starting lineup and then gives us a different look when we go to Mitch.”
The Knicks’ tough 3-point protection continued, permitting the Bucks to shoot 44 p.c (18-for-41) from deep.
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