On Tuesday evening, the New York Knicks continued their struggling ways with a blowout road loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets. This game was uncompetitive from the get-go, and put the Knicks in further danger of slipping all the way to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings leading up to the playoffs.
Recently, Josh Hart caused a stir when he instructed ESPN sports media personality and occasional Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith to “shut the hell up” about his team, to which Smith predictably responded on the air.
Smith wasted no time basking in the glow of Hart's rough performance on Tuesday vs the Rockets.
“Message to Josh Hart, do I need to shut the hell up now? … You haven't won a game since you clapped back at me… every time you go up against somebody that's relatively respectable, you're wetting the bed!” said Smith on First Take, per NBA Courtside on X, formerly Twitter.
It was indeed a rough game for Hart, who shot just 5-12 from the field and secured five rebounds, well below his usual mark.
Meanwhile, it was another poor effort from Jalen Brunson, who was locked down by the Rockets' defense and reignited concerns about the slump he seems to be in as the 2025-26 NBA season winds down. Many have questioned whether a team led by a small guard can win a championship in the modern NBA, and Brunson hasn't provided any evidence to the contrary over the last few weeks.
The good news for the Knicks is that they have a great opportunity for a bounce back on Wednesday night on the road against the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.
