Josh Hart has fans in splits for his hilarious reaction to Jayson Tatum's ejection: "Booted him from the Garden"
After being a fan favorite with the LA Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers, Josh Hart is winning over the New York Knicks faithful. The team has gone 6-0 since his addition at the trade deadline.
Hart gave the Knicks' fan base another moment to cherish after giving a hilarious reaction to Jayson Tatum's ejection during the team's 109-94 home win over the Boston Celtics. Here's a clip of the incident (via Bleacher Report):
Josh Hart's reaction to Tatum getting ejected ๐ ๐ https://t.co/dnvubcHET8
Knicks fans were already hyped up after the team clinched their season series win over the Celtics by a 2-1 margin. Boston came into the contest as the league's leading record holders, adding more importance to the victory. Tatum's ejection and Hart's reaction only made the occasion sweeter for New Yorkers at a packed MSG arena.
Josh Hart received plenty of love for his antics during the game, especially after the reaction to Jayson Tatum's ejection. One fan wrote on Twitter:
"Booted him from the Garden"
@joshhart Booted him from the Garden https://t.co/G3Efcd9jwx
Another added:
"Josh Hart is fitting right in as a New Yorker now lol mad petty lol"
@BleacherReport Josh Hart is fitting right in as a New Yorker now lol mad petty lol
Here are some more reactions that followed:
@BleacherReport Same energy https://t.co/AOelEU9DaQ
@BleacherReport Tatum vs Knicks highlights๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
https://t.co/sJbNKpz4cX
@BleacherReport Refs ears couldnโt take the bricks anymore
@BleacherReport Tatum got boxed by Grimes and Hart all night๐
@BleacherReport owned my idol Tatum
@BleacherReport Lakers, pelicans, trailblazers, Knicks legend Josh hart
@BleacherReport heโs better than tatum
@BleacherReport Just became a Josh hart fan
@TheHoopCentral He put Tatum in a torture rack all night and got in his head ๐ญ๐ญ https://t.co/xoFl1wWL7K
to the third row@TheHoopCentral Heโs built for NY! Love to see it. Tatum couldnโt handle Mitchell Robinson sending his ๐ฉ to the third row
@TheHoopCentral Josh Hart is the most New York player Iโve ever seen. I love it.
@TheHoopCentral I love Josh Hart even though this is against my guy Tatum ๐คฃ๐
@TheHoopCentral No way my Idol is getting bodied by Josh Hart ๐ญ
New York Knicks' Josh Hart emerging as one of the best trade deadline additions this season
The New York Knicks' struggles to land a superstar name on the market continued at the trade deadline. However, the team continued to improve the roster around the core of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett.
The Knicks flipped the discarded Cam Reddish in a deal for Josh Hart, which was a master stroke. Reddish was out of the rotation. Meanwhile, New York hasn't been the same force on defense they were initially under coach Tom Thibodeau for over a season and a half. Offensively, they needed more shooting to thrive.
Hart brought all of these qualities to the team. Since his move to the Big Apple, Hart has averaged 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting at an efficient clip of 61.2% from the field, including 63.2% from 3-point range on 3.2 attempts.
The New York Knicks are 6-0 since his acquisition. He has provided an instant boost off the bench. The Knicks ranked first in offense (124.2) and net rating (15.5) during that stretch. They are sixth defensively with a 108.7 rating.
The Knicks were ninth on offense and 15th on defense before the deadline. It's a small sample size, but Josh Hart's fit with the team is seamless. He has made significant contributions to their improvement as a unit. The Knicks rank fifth in the Eastern Conference after improving to a 36-27 record following their win over Boston.