Josh Hart Hits Back At Lottery Bound Pistons Coach For Calling Out Donte DiVincenzo’s Stat Padding

The recent matchup between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons saw the former team’s shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo coming out on top. Although he had already established himself as the team’s third-highest average scorer this season, his recent performance showed just how far he is capable of going. While Knicks fans applauded him, the people on the Pistons side were not very happy.

During the post-game press conference, Pistons head coach Monty Williams was asked about his thoughts on DiVincenzo’s recent offensive play. The coach didn’t have to think for long before stating “I don’t care about their team at all, I could care less. Those guys, how they got those 3s, I don’t want to be a part of that story”.

It didn’t take too long for Williams’ comment to spread like wildfire. Soon, it reached the ears of DiVincenzo’s teammate Josh Hart. After he was read the comment by a reporter, the 29-year-old was seen shrugging his shoulder slightly and replying “If you don’t want to be a part of that story, should have told those guys to defend better”. His remark definitely caused a few people in the locker room to let out a chuckle.

By defending his teammate in a wholesome moment, Josh Hart highlighted that no one should have the right to criticize the 27-year-old on his recent feat. While the tensions between Monty Williams and the Knicks are well established, the coach’s criticism would not in any way help his team’s chances now.

With just 10 more games remaining for them in the regular season and being currently ranked as the dead last seed on the points table, the Detroit Pistons have no chance of making it to the playoffs now. They may, however, have the advantage of making the first picks during next season’s draft.

Josh Hart made his sixth triple-double of the season during the Knicks-Pistons faceoff

The Knicks ended up winning the recent matchup by a score of 124-99. Donte DiVincenzo led the offensive charge through his jaw-dropping score of 40 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. On top of that, the point guard also ended up dropping 11 3-pointers, breaking the franchise’s All-Time record earlier set by Evan Fournier in 2022. While DiVincenzo’s performance could be concluded as a classic example of stat-padding, it did help the Knicks in delivering a humiliating 25-point loss to the Pistons.

While the MVP of the Knicks-Pistons match was definitely Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart also didn’t hold back in delivering a commendable performance. During his 40 minutes on the court, the player put up a score of 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. This marks the 6 triple-double that Hart has scored this season. While he may not have led the team in terms of points, his high rebounds definitely played a role in assuring that DiVincenzo got his moment to shine.

READ MORE: Josh Hart Stays True to Himself Despite Shouldering Jalen Brunson’s Herculean Responsibility