Josh Hart Went Nuclear From Three and the Knicks Just Beat Boston to Keep Their Home Run Alive

The New York Knicks are cooking at Madison Square Garden right now, and Josh Hart is the reason why. Hart dropped 26 points with an absolutely unconscionable 5-of-7 night from three-point range, including two daggers in the final minute, as New York topped the Boston Celtics 112-106 on Thursday to extend their home winning streak to six games. This is the kind of performance that sticks with you: clutch shots when it mattered most, when Boston had just clawed back to within three.

Jalen Brunson orchestrated the offense with 25 points and 10 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. The Knicks showed they can weather a storm when the Celtics got it down to 109-106 with 35.6 seconds left on a Nikola Vucevic bucket, but Hart's response three with 15.2 seconds remaining essentially sealed it. Boston's Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Payton Pritchard added 23 and Baylor Scheierman went off for 20 on 6-of-7 three-point shooting. Jaylen Brown sat out with an Achilles injury.

The real story here is the Knicks are still very much in this conversation. They can still catch Boston and potentially finish as high as second in the Eastern Conference standings. Six straight at home is the kind of momentum you ride deep into the season.

Around the League

Rockets 113, 76ers 102: Kevin Durant scored 29 points and hit a crucial late three as Houston extended their winning streak to eight games. They had to hold on though, after seeing a 28-point lead trimmed down to three. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each added 19 for the Rockets. Philadelphia played without Joel Embibl after he underwent emergency appendectomy surgery Thursday and has now lost three straight. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 23 points, while VJ Edgecombe contributed 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Raptors 128, Heat 114: Brandon Ingram went off for 38 points, 23 of them in the first half, as Toronto swept Miami in a four-game set and moved into fifth in the Eastern Conference. RJ Barrett added 22 for the Raptors. Bam Adebayo bounced back with 24 points and 11 rebounds for Miami.

Bulls 119, Wizards 108: Tre Jones had 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line, leading Chicago over Washington for the second time in three days. Collin Sexton scored 27 and Leonard Miller had a career-high 26 with 11 boards. Washington dressed only eight players.

Pacers 123, Nets 94: Obi Toppin came off the bench for 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting as Indiana rolled. The Pacers shot 52 percent overall and outrebounded Brooklyn 66-43.

Lakers 119, Warriors 103: LeBron James had 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as Los Angeles snapped a three-game slide in San Francisco. The Lakers moved into a tie with Houston for fourth in the West, one game behind Denver.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.