Josh Hart said he is not in a good mental space following a scoreless performance that ended with him benched in the final quarter.
The New York Knicks forward struggled through a 106-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Cup, ESPN México reported. Hart missed all four of his field-goal attempts during the match.
His scoring average has dipped to 7.3 points per contest, marking the lowest figure of his career. An ankle injury and an illness disrupted the start of his campaign.
“Ojalá pudiera decirles”, Hart told reporters regarding his struggles on the court. “No lo sé. Ahora mismo no me siento bien anímicamente y tengo que encontrar la manera de mejorar eso y mejorar mi juego”.
The scoreless outing extended a cold streak for Hart, who has failed to reach double figures in scoring across a six-game stretch dating back to October 25. Contract uncertainty also shadowed his preparation when New York suspended extension talks with him and Karl-Anthony Towns on October 9.
Teammate Mikal Bridges found his rhythm against Indiana by scoring 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. OG Anunoby labored through a 4-of-13 shooting night, noting to reporters that he does not understand why finishing near the basket remains difficult.
“Simplemente tengo que mejorar”, Hart told the press after the game. “Tengo que mejorar mentalmente. Tengo que recuperar la concentración”.
Hart moved from questionable to doubtful for a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden, according to the official NBA injury report cited by AhoraMismo.com.
Coach Brown faces fresh rotation decisions with Landry Shamet positioned to fill perimeter minutes. Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson stand ready for extended bench responsibilities if the guard misses a third game.
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