"Full circle" - Josh Hart recalls Lonzo Ball and LeBron James' joint achievement on historic triple-double night

The New York Knicks needed every bit of effort to get past the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, and with Jalen Brunson still out with an injury, Josh Hart had to step up. He recorded yet another triple-double to lead his team to a 128-113 win, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns also logged double digits in all three categories, finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 dimes.

This was the first time in Knicks' history that two players recorded a triple-double in the same game. Notably, Hart had already witnessed that when Lonzo Ball and LeBron James did so for the LA Lakers back in 2018. When asked about that, he got a little emotional and called it a 'full-circle' moment:

"I was in L.A. when [James and Ball] did it, and that sounded really dope," Hart said. "Now it's full circle and I'm in that same situation with [Towns], and it was really dope. It was a blessing."

Hart didn't record a single triple-double in his first six seasons in the league with the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Portland Trail Blazers, but he's recorded 15 in the past two seasons, which is as many as LeBron James.

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Josh Hart is making history for the Knicks

This was Hart's ninth triple-double of the season, which is a new franchise record. The previous mark was held by Walt “Clyde” Frazier since 1969, and he still has a handful of games to keep adding to his tally.

Following the win, Towns gushed about his teammate, saying that his effort and determination to do what's best for the team have helped him stuff the stat sheet night in and night out:

"[Hart's] got nine this season; I've got one. He's doing a much better job of getting triple-doubles," Towns said. "But the way he does it is special. It's always with effort and for the betterment of the team.

"I'm just happy there's a way to see on the stat sheet the impact he's having on the game. He sacrifices so much for the team, so I'm happy that he can have this moment."

Hart is averaging 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 53.3% from the floor and 34.1% from beyond the arc.