Josh Hart makes a big impression on Mike Brown in Knicks victory: ‘basketball at a high level’

So much for Mike Brown’s plans to use Josh Hart in smaller doses.

This was the workload Hart had grown accustomed to under Brown’s predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.

And he rewarded Brown’s faith with a standout performance, recording 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 40 minutes during the Knicks’ 118-109 Black Friday victory over the Bucks at Madison Square Garden. He was a team-best plus-15.

“Josh, he’s a ball player,” Brown said. “It doesn’t matter what you throw at him, he just goes out and hits the ball. That’s what you love about him. He just gets it done in any role you give him. He’s shown he can help you come off the bench, he’s definitely shown he can help you as a starter. He plays basketball at a high level.”

Going into the season, the way Brown planned to use Hart represented one of the bigger changes he had in mind. Hart started all 77 regular season games he played under Thibodeau last year.

But Brown did not shy away from publicly announcing his intention to bring Hart off the bench.

Hart is a ball of energy, and Brown wanted to make the most of that with smaller workloads, which he hoped would better limit some of the volatility that comes with Hart’s playing style.

And through the first fourteen games he played in this season, Hart came off the bench, averaging 26.0 minutes per game – well below the NBA-high 37.6 minutes per game he averaged last year.

But injuries to OG Anunoby (hamstring strain) and Landry Shamet (shoulder sprain) have forced Brown to change that plan. Hart started his third straight game on Friday, playing more than 33 minutes in each game.

When Jalen Brunson was aggressively double-teamed in the fourth quarter, Hart played a crucial role as a playmaker.

“I love it,” Hart said. “That’s a position I feel extremely comfortable in. Normally we get a good look when that happens.”

Mitchell Robinson left the bench for the second straight game, the only two times he has done so this season.

He recorded six points and seven rebounds.

All of his points came during a key stretch in the second quarter, when the Knicks trailed by 11 points.

“I like what I’ve seen so far. Mitch has given us a great blow off the bench,” Brown said. “His ability, offensive rebounds, against starters or backups, is huge for us. He’s got to continue to bring that to the table. It just gives us a different look with our starting lineup and then gives us a different look when we go to Mitch.”

The Knicks’ rugged three-point defense continued, allowing the Bucks to shoot 44 percent (18-for-41) from deep.