Amid agonizing pain, Jalen Brunson laid a harsh expectation on Josh Hart. The NY Knicks star sustained a grave abdominal injury tonight and struggled throughout and eventually clocked out early in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the Big Apple side couldn’t cross the line in Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers. Now, both sides have a do-or-die Game 7 to decide their fate in the postseason. While the Knicks have a home-court advantage, the uncertainty of Hart’s availability could be a major blow.

Speaking of the uncertainty, Brunson said, “I assume he’s going to play. It’s Game 7,” despite another update that Hart was in pain outside the locker room. Moreover, speaking at the post-game press conference, he said, “That’s why we have each other for… Lot of things physically don’t go our way this year but I think our main focus is that… If you’re out there, you’re ready to go. That’s been our mindset… No matter what the situation is, we’re gonna have each other’s backs.” 

Following Brunson, another Villanova teammate Donte DiVincenzo shared a positive update. He added, “Obviously, you never wanna see anyone get hurt, but it’s been our season. We have more than enough, whoever’s on the court…. Whatever fires on the court, we’ve a blueprint here… You go out there and compete your tails off, you give yourself a chance to win.”

While Josh Hart’s teammates showed positive signs on his return, the star guard seemed to be in immense pain on the court. During the first quarter of tonight’s game, he held his abdomen region after a collision with the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard. It was further aggravated when he had another collision with Pascal Siakam.

Hart played through the first three quarters with immense pain and it affected his performance on the court, as he restricted himself from making contacts. Eventually, he returned to the locker room in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Will Josh Hart recover before Game 7?

The series decider Game 7 will be played on Sunday afternoon at the Madison Square Garden. The 29-year-old will have to make himself available for the game within 2 days. While the abdominal soreness isn’t a grave injury to put a player out of the roster, it will definitely require a few days to recover.

According to Healthline, abdominal soreness/strain could cause mild swelling, pain during movement, coughing, or sneezing. But, it can be treated with cold therapy or heat therapy. The article stated that the player might need at least 2-3 days before recovering from the pain.

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Hart doesn’t have much time on his hands and, importantly, missing out on that game may even call the curtains for their 2023-24 season run. So, just like Brunson mentioned, “I assume he’s going to play. It’s Game 7,” Hart might even lace for the big game despite the pain.

Can the MSG crowd make the visitors feel the pressure of the road game to cover up Hart’s uncertainty? Let us know in the comments below.