{"id":721739,"date":"2026-04-30T04:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/721739\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T04:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:51:16","slug":"knicks-are-holding-their-breath-for-injury-update-that-could-decide-fate-vs-hawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/721739\/","title":{"rendered":"Knicks are holding their breath for injury update that could decide fate vs Hawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Josh Hart suffered a back contusion during the New York Knicks\u2019 statement-making victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5, and is now listed as questionable<\/a> entering Game 6. If he is unable to go or limited in any way, it puts the \u2018bockers in a real bind, particularly on the defensive end, and significantly increases the chances they\u2019re forced to play a Game 7 they seemed poised to avoid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As The Athletic\u2019s James L. Edwards III noted, Hart appeared to suffer the injury <\/a>in the first half of Game 5. He gutted it out in the second half because, well, he\u2019s Josh Hart. He doesn\u2019t let silly little hiccups like back contusions, sprained ankles, broken bones, or missing limbs prevent him from flying all over the court.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, when the Knicks subbed him out with 6:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, the 31-year-old headed to the locker room, and did not return. New York was up by so much it didn\u2019t matter, was probably by design, and perhaps isn\u2019t worth losing sleep over.<\/p>\n

Then again, these are the playoffs. Margins for error are ultra-thin. Hart being on the injury report, at all, could have serious ramifications.<\/p>\n

The Knicks have Josh Hart carrying a huge defensive workload\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although New York is allowing fewer points per possession<\/a> with Hart on the bench, this falls well short of representing his impact. He has spent a lion\u2019s share of the series defending Jalen Johnson, and is the one primarily responsible for the All-NBA shoo-in having such a meh playoffs.<\/p>\n

Not all of the individual matchup data<\/a> is pretty, but Johnosn is shooting under 49 percent on twos and less than 28 percent from three with Hart on the floor. During this time, the Knicks have also outscored the Hawks by 11.9 points per 100 possessions (plus-42 points overall).<\/p>\n

When Hart isn\u2019t ferrying Johnson duty, he has lined up opposite CJ McCollum, Atlanta\u2019s best offensive player for the series. While the 34-year-old veteran has churned out more than his fair share of big moments, the Hawks offense is averaging just 0.99 points per possession<\/a> when Hart pitches in on McCollum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New York is not in a position to pass off this workload, and feel good about it. Hart sitting would mean OG Anunoby has to spend even more time on Johnson, while Mikal Bridges and Deuce McBride split reps against McCollum and reigning Most Improved Player Nickeil-Alexander Walker.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That is not the end of the world. McBride remains a scrappy defender, and Bridges has turned heads for all the right reasons at the less glamorous end<\/a>. Even so, McBride will always be at a size deficit, while Bridges forfeits the strength advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hart will probably play, but that doesn\u2019t mean New York is out of the woods<\/p>\n

Josh Hart being Josh Hart, it would be a genuine surprise if he doesn\u2019t take the floor in a potential series-clincher. But the Knicks can\u2019t truly exhale until that becomes official.<\/p>\n

Moreover, there could be a trickle-down even if he\u2019s ready to rock. Keeping pace with Johnson is difficult to begin with, and presumably much harder with a compromised back. McCollum could have an easier time getting him off balance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hart could struggle to get back in transition, which has recently been an unsung strength of New York\u2019s defense. He\u2019s also currently struggling to knock down threes. That won\u2019t get any easier if he\u2019s laboring through back issues.<\/p>\n

No matter how Hart\u2019s status plays out, the Knicks could find themselves needing to limit or deemphasize him. Given the defensive responsibility he\u2019s toting, as well as New York being a plus-46 in his minutes, this is one of those developments that could determine whether the series sees a Game 7.<\/p>\n

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