Josh Hart puts Knicks' fatigue in perspective after team's seventh game in 12 days: 'We're playing a game'

'People getting up at 6 a.m., doing 12-hour shifts, those guys are tired," Hart said after the loss

The New York Knicks' nine-game winning streak finally came to an end on Tuesday, as they fell to the Charlotte Hornets, 112-105. Though they played well in the first half, the Knicks appeared to run out of gas in the second, as they were outscored 62-39 and shot 14 of 47 from the field and 2 of 18 from 3-point land. 

But despite the fact that Tuesday night's contest was their seventh in 12 days, newly acquired forward Josh Hart said the team can't blame the defeat solely on fatigue. 

"It's a reality. But the reality also is our job is to play basketball and you got people getting up at 6 a.m., doing 12-hour shifts, those guys are tired," Hart told reporters. "For us, we're playing a game, and we're fortunate enough to play a game like this. We have to keep that in perspective. We gotta go out and compete and play the game that we love and compete at the highest level. 

"We gotta make sure we're full of energy and lively every time we step on the court. That's the biggest thing. I don't think we can blame this on fatigue. We gotta continue to grow and play winning basketball. Sometimes when you're winning, some of those bad habits are band-aided. That's why it's tough winning in the league."

Josh Hart when asked about fatigue factoring in to NYK’s loss to CHA tonight: “You got people getting up at 6 am doing 12 hour shifts. Those people are tired. For us, we’re playing a game…. We gotta keep that in perspective.” Full answer: pic.twitter.com/lh6wBU5Twd

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 8, 2023

Hart's arrival via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers just ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline coincided with the beginning of the Knicks' incredible winning streak, which pushed them up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Even after the loss to the Hornets, they remain alone in fifth and only two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 

The hard-working swingman has been a perfect fit for head coach Tom Thibodeau's brand of basketball, and has quickly become a fan favorite in Madison Square Garden. In his 10 games with the team, he's averaging 11.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting a ridiculous 60.9 percent from 3-point range. As his comments show, he's also already comfortable speaking up in the locker room to help the team maintain winning habits. 

Fatigue is certainly a factor at this time in the season, especially given the stretch the Knicks went through. But every team in the league is dealing with that reality, and Hart and the Knicks will have to find a way to push through it if they want to catch the Cavs and steal a top-four seed in the East.