Josh Hart lasted 11 minutes in Friday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
The New York Knicks’ wing drove to the rim with Javonte Green and Ayo Dosunmu trailing him. As Green tried to leave his feet, Green swiped at the ball and pulled it loose. Hart then kicked his foot out and made contact with Green’s head, sending the Chicago Bulls player to the floor.
The refs handed Hart a technical before opting to stop the action and review the play. They then called a flagrant 2 on Hart, officially booting him from the game.
You can check out a couple of angles of the moment here:
Look, if I’m being honest, I’m not sure Hart should have been booted from the game. He clearly didn’t mean to make contact with Green’s head, and I can understand some of his frustration. At the same time, the refs aren’t going to be too easy on you when you stick your foot out like that, so I’m not shocked that was the call.
Either way, it was quite a bit break for the Bulls. Hart is one of the team’s top rebounders and most versatile defenders. We’ll see if they can take advantage of his absence.