The New York Knicks haven’t seen Josh Hart play in a game since the first preseason game earlier this month. He missed the last four preseason games as well as the regular season opener with a back injury that he suffered during the preseason.
Knicks’ Josh Hart upgraded to questionable against Celtics
However, there is a chance he could make his return on Friday against the Boston Celtics. On Thursday’s injury report, Hart was upgraded to questionable with the injury, which is a great sign that there is even a chance he could play.
For comparison, Hart was ruled out of the regular season opener the day before the game, so they were set on holding him out of that game. Luckily, New York was able to overcome his absence by taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 to open the season.
The Knicks will want Hart to suit up as soon as possible, as he still needs to learn Mike Brown’s system and get himself back into rhythm. Furthermore, they could really benefit from having him come off the bench, as he provides the rebounding and energy that they need.
The Knicks are still dealing with injuries to key players
New York will still be shorthanded against the Celtics regardless of Hart’s playing status. Mitchell Robinson has already been ruled out with load management, and Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable with a quad strain.
Towns said after the season opener that he has a grade 2 quad strain, but ultimately decided to play through it. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.
Boston will be heavily shorthanded, as Jayson Tatum will not play while he continues to recover from a torn Achilles that he suffered against the Knicks during last season’s playoffs.
The game against the Celtics will tip off at 7:30 PM and be broadcast nationally on Amazon Prime Video, the first NBA game broadcast on the network.