ORLANDO — Josh Hart said he didn’t mean to grab pesky Jalen Suggs by the neck.
Hart picked up a technical within the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 133-121 loss to the Magic on Saturday after fighting Suggs for a loose ball, an exchange that ended after the Knicks player’s right hand wrapped around Suggs’ throat.
“It was a loose ball. Obviously, we’re jockeying for the ball. I wasn’t even him,” Hart said. “I used to be the basketball, and I didn’t realize I hit him within the neck until they slowed it down second by second. A play where bodies are flying and hands are flying.
“Unfortunately, I got him there. But it surely was nothing purposeful. That stuff’s happening like this,” Hart said snapping his fingers. “I don’t think I had enough time to process on a loose ball grabbing him by the neck.”
The play juiced up Suggs, who had been hounding Jalen Brunson all night defensively, and prompted a “Let’s go Magic” chant from the gang.
It was the second technical up to now three games for Hart, who was whistled for jawing on the referee in last week’s loss to the Heat.
On Saturday, Hart fouled out in 29 minutes and scored 12 points with five rebounds.
Miles McBride didn’t play Saturday due to an illness. He was on the energetic list but never made it to the bench.
It was the third DNP of the season for McBride, who missed two games following a death in his family.
Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley didn’t coach the second half due to an illness. Assistant Joe Prunty took over the pinnacle coaching duties and got the win.
“I’m higher now,” Mosley said after the sport. “I used to be lightheaded, almost dizzy on the sideline; it kicked in. I probably shouldn’t have been yelling at [the referee] like that. That began it, but a lot better now. … It was scary.”
Coach Mike Brown opened up his pregame news conference by offering his condolences to the family of Rodney Rogers, who died Friday of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury.
Rogers, 54, played 12 NBA seasons, including two with the Latest Jersey Nets. He had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a mud bike accident in 2008.
Brown was a video coordinator within the Nineteen Nineties with the Nuggets, for whom Rogers played from 1993-95. Coincidentally, Brown referenced Rogers earlier this month when explaining why he kept the Knicks starters on the court throughout the final minutes while facing a 16-point deficit.
Rogers spurred an improbable Nuggets comeback in 1994 by scoring nine points in nine seconds, however the Jazz still won on a last-second shot by Jeff Malone.
“It was amazing what [Rogers] did. We were a young team, and after he hit that third [3-pointer], we were celebrating like we won,” Brown recalled Saturday.
“I used to be with him in Denver back within the day, and he obviously was a extremely good basketball player but human being, too.”
ORLANDO — Josh Hart said he didn’t mean to grab pesky Jalen Suggs by the neck.
Hart picked up a technical within the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 133-121 loss to the Magic on Saturday after fighting Suggs for a loose ball, an exchange that ended after the Knicks player’s right hand wrapped around Suggs’ throat.
“It was a loose ball. Obviously, we’re jockeying for the ball. I wasn’t even him,” Hart said. “I used to be the basketball, and I didn’t realize I hit him within the neck until they slowed it down second by second. A play where bodies are flying and hands are flying.
“Unfortunately, I got him there. But it surely was nothing purposeful. That stuff’s happening like this,” Hart said snapping his fingers. “I don’t think I had enough time to process on a loose ball grabbing him by the neck.”
The play juiced up Suggs, who had been hounding Jalen Brunson all night defensively, and prompted a “Let’s go Magic” chant from the gang.
It was the second technical up to now three games for Hart, who was whistled for jawing on the referee in last week’s loss to the Heat.
On Saturday, Hart fouled out in 29 minutes and scored 12 points with five rebounds.
Miles McBride didn’t play Saturday due to an illness. He was on the energetic list but never made it to the bench.
It was the third DNP of the season for McBride, who missed two games following a death in his family.
Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley didn’t coach the second half due to an illness. Assistant Joe Prunty took over the pinnacle coaching duties and got the win.
“I’m higher now,” Mosley said after the sport. “I used to be lightheaded, almost dizzy on the sideline; it kicked in. I probably shouldn’t have been yelling at [the referee] like that. That began it, but a lot better now. … It was scary.”
Coach Mike Brown opened up his pregame news conference by offering his condolences to the family of Rodney Rogers, who died Friday of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury.
Rogers, 54, played 12 NBA seasons, including two with the Latest Jersey Nets. He had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a mud bike accident in 2008.
Brown was a video coordinator within the Nineteen Nineties with the Nuggets, for whom Rogers played from 1993-95. Coincidentally, Brown referenced Rogers earlier this month when explaining why he kept the Knicks starters on the court throughout the final minutes while facing a 16-point deficit.
Rogers spurred an improbable Nuggets comeback in 1994 by scoring nine points in nine seconds, however the Jazz still won on a last-second shot by Jeff Malone.
“It was amazing what [Rogers] did. We were a young team, and after he hit that third [3-pointer], we were celebrating like we won,” Brown recalled Saturday.
“I used to be with him in Denver back within the day, and he obviously was a extremely good basketball player but human being, too.”
