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New York Knicks star Josh Hart was ejected from the opening of the team’s pre-season against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi and suffered an injury in the process.
Hart, as he usually did, was fighting for a rebound in the second quarter when he left with the ball and tried to put himself in court. However, the goalkeeper of the 76ers Kennedy Chandler hampered his way, and Hart hit hard wood in clear pain.
The game was live despite the fall of Hart, and Chandler did the right thing while trying to remove the ball from his hands. It forced a jump ball, but Hart was clearly frustrated by the situation and decided to launch the ball on the field and in the stands.
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New York Knicks goalkeeper Josh Hart speaks to the media at a media day press conference at Madison Square Garden Training Center on September 23, 2025. (Brad Penner / Imagn images)
Hart finally left the ground, walking carefully while promoting his lower back. He went to the locker room to be assessed, but he did not return.
It was not due to the injury but a technical fault and an ejection for launching the ball after the game.
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Hart finished the match with only two points, three rebounds and a assist over seven minutes.
The veteran Knicks star is known for his endurance, playing in 77 regular season games last season while making an average of 37:37 minutes per game under Tom Thibodeau. His total minute led the NBA.
New York Knicks goalkeeper Josh Hart passes the ball against Indiana Pacers in the third quarter in match 6 of the final of the NBA conference in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski / Images Imagn)
Thibodeau relieved from his duties, Hart came out of the bench for the new head coach Mike Brown on Thursday. Brown has chosen to start his two big men, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, to start the match before Hart’s entrance.
Hart had a year of career with his great minutes for the Knicks during the 2024-25 campaign, with an average of 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 interceptions per game. He also pulled 52.5% in the field.
The Josh Hart of New York Knicks reacts while he fell during the first half of a pre-season match of the NBA against the 76ers of Philadelphia on Thursday October 2, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. (Photo altaf qadri / ap)
It will be interesting to see how Brown deploys these knicks given the demand of Thibodeau longer than usual for his beginners, notably Towns, Jalen Brunson and Og Anunoby.
