TORONTO — Josh Hart was certainly included.
A few days after revealing problems with his diminished role in the offense, Hart went off during a pivotal moment of Friday’s 119-106 victory over the Raptors.
The backup forward reeled off 15 consecutive Knicks points to end the third quarter, alternating between jumpers and lay-ins to provide the visitors a 90-77 lead heading into the final period.
The Raptors (9-11) never recovered.
“Oh I had no idea [I was scoring that much],” Hart said. “I wish I did. Boy, I would’ve started jacking. I would’ve tried to make it 20 or 25. I felt like I had the hot hand a little bit. But I didn’t know until after the game when somebody told me [it was 15 straight].”
From there, Donte DiVincenzo took over with 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks (12-7), dominating on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back, won their third straight.
Josh Hart went on a 15-point run late in the third quarter to lead
the Knicks to a 119-106 win over the Raptors. Getty ImagesHart struggled at the start to the season, particularly with his 3-point shot, leading to an eye-opening remark this week that he doesn’t “feel included” in Tom Thibodeau’s offense.
Since that comment, the 28-year-old wing has shot 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, including his 17-point, eight-rebound breakout in Toronto.
His 15-point surge occurred over just 3 minutes and 30 seconds in the third quarter.
“I’m not really disgruntled. Trying to find my spots, get my rhythm,” he said. “I feel like I’m doing a better job of that the last several games. It’s just about coming out and being aggressive and when the guy finds me open just let it fly and find my game.”
Hart, the comedy relief in the locker room, was clearly having fun Friday night as he made goat noises while Jalen Brunson spoke to reporters.
Then Julius Randle joked about Hart’s usage rate, which was a point of debate when he was struggling.
“I think the only reason we really won today is we got Josh Hart’s usage up,” Randle said, smiling. “When his usage is up we win. That’s it.”
So is the team getting a feel for each other?
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives at the Toronto Raptors defense during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto. AP“I just think Josh, when his usage goes up, it’s just like great things happen for our team,” Randle added enthusiastically, trying to get Hart’s attention.
So the Knicks were in a good mood leaving Toronto, and they have good reason with three days off before the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday in Milwaukee.
In Toronto, everything was clicking.
The ball moved.
They recorded 30 assists.
Brunson scored 22 points in 37 minutes.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) drives past New York Knicks forward Julius Randle. APRandle was a force despite entering as a game-time decision with knee soreness, finishing with 20 points and one assist short of a triple-double.
The Knicks are now 10-0 this season against teams currently with a losing record.
The Raptors certainly aren’t as bad as their previous two opponents — the Pistons and Hornets — but remain more of a play-in candidate than a legitimate East contender.
Josh Hart helped the Knicks win their third consecutive game. NBAE via Getty ImagesAnd they couldn’t stop Hart for 3 ½ impactful minutes.
“How many did he have?” Thibodeau asked.
Fifteen straight.
“Pretty good,” the coach answered.






