Knicks’ Josh Hart has strong game against Celtics after return from injury

BOSTON — In the pregame locker room, Josh Hart was getting ready to face the Celtics Sunday afternoon after flying to join the Knicks.

While discussing the knee problem that had kept him out of action the previous two games he was asked what he saw from the team in the blowout loss without him in Cleveland.

“I saw us get our butt kicked and it was extremely embarrassing,” Hart said. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t let that happen again.”

Hart did his part, showing no ill effects of the knee injury as he played 40 minutes and contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

“Yeah really good energy,” Knicks coach To, Thibodeau said. “You know, his typical type of game. They were playing their fives on him. I thought his activity was great. Running into pick and rolls, generating advantages. He got into the pocket some. We were able to get points in a paint off that. So I like the way he played a lot.”

The Knicks liked the fact that Hart played at all after he had been listed on the injury report numerous times before the All-Star break but always managed to get through it and join the team on the floor. But after the break, he wasn’t able to play through the injury and sat out the first two games against Chicago and Cleveland before returning to action Sunday.

The Knicks have called the injury patellofemoral syndrome in the right knee also known as runner’s knee. Hart just described it as soreness. But he was vague on what sort of testing or procedures he underwent to get back into the lineup.

“I relaxed,” Hart said. “That’s my answer. I had a nice time to relax, to physically and mentally unwind. Now it’s back to the regularly-scheduled program.

“It’s stuff I consistently do, do my weight room, my court work, pray, meditate. That’s all I can do. That’s all. Nothing changes I guess I’ll say. I just felt that couple more days of rest obviously would benefit my knee. So that’s something that we all came to an agreement on. Like I said, now it’s back to the regular.”

Hart has had issues with this knee dating back to his days with the Lakers, when he received PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections at the All-Star break and then underwent a surgical procedure after the season to clean up the knee. And he said that he had an even worse issue while with New Orleans and playing in the bubble.

“It’s something that comes and goes, something that I’ve managed for so long,” Hart said. “One time I was in the bubble in New Orleans, I would play and the next day really I couldn’t even get to half court. It was a pain. It was a struggle for me to even jog to half court and now I’m playing 48 minutes for Tom Thibodeau. So there’s peaks and valleys with it. Not really worried about it.”