Josh Hart took a more aggressive role in the New York Knicks’ series against the Atlanta Hawks, insisting on guarding CJ McCollum full-time after the Hawks took control early.
Following a Game 3 loss decided by McCollum, Hart made it clear to the coaching staff that he wanted the defensive assignment and wasn’t willing to give it up.
“I cursed out one of our defensive [coaches] for taking me off him at the end of Game 3,” said Hart, who also walked into the coaches’ room at halftime of Game 4 to make sure it didn’t happen again.
“I said, ‘I’m on him. Don’t take me off him. I’m guarding him. And that was the challenge I wanted.”
The impact was immediate, as McCollum’s production dropped significantly over the final three games after a strong start to the series.
Hart emphasized that his motivation came down to competitiveness and wanting to respond after those early performances.
“At a certain point, it’s just pride,” Hart said.
“It’s wanting to obviously try to stop him, to limit him. Games 1 and 2, he had (about) 30 (per game). It was just a pride thing. Go out there and get stops.”
Knicks Notes: Hart, Clarkson, Alvarado, Towns https://t.co/1c1Q1lGUq0
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 2, 2026
