New York Knicks guard Josh Hart didn’t hold back after Monday’s 114-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden, labeling the team’s performance “embarrassing.” Hart said, “We’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve really been, you know, terrible defensively all year.”
Hart emphasized the need for urgency and personal accountability, stating, “We all need to do some soul-searching, some looking in the mirror and figuring out what we’re going to do individually, what we’re going to do as a team, what our identity is.” He added, “At some point, we have to look in the mirror and realize that no one out here is feeling sorry for us.”
The Knicks struggled from the start, falling behind 30 in the first half as Max Christie and rookie Cooper Flagg led Dallas’ scoring surge. Hart attributed the first-half struggles to lack of effort, saying, “We have to have a better sense of urgency. All of us have to figure out what we need to do to get ready and go out there and execute.”
Despite the team’s talent, Hart stressed that mental focus has been lacking. “It’s not Xs and Os or schematics. Each player just needs to give a little bit more, 100%. We have to come out there and make sure we’re focused on winning each possession,” he said.
Hart compared the current struggles to previous seasons, noting the contrast in effort levels. “Last year, no matter what we did, the effort was there before. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today. It was embarrassing,” he said, highlighting the urgency required as the Knicks hit the midpoint of the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks’ defensive lapses allowed Dallas to shoot 49% from the field and 47% from three, knocking down 15 triples. Hart pointed out that the team has failed to replicate the physical and focused approach that defined past playoff runs, saying, “We have to make sure we have a professional mindset. We can’t go into practice and have things said several times, then come out and not execute.”
New York, now 25-18, has lost four straight games and nine of their last 11. Hart’s call for reflection comes as the Knicks prepare to face the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, seeking to halt a slide that has undermined their early-season promise.
The team’s leaders, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, must respond to Hart’s challenge if the Knicks hope to regain defensive discipline and offensive cohesion. “We’ve shown that we can play with energy and focus. We just have to get that center urgency back,” Hart said.
