TORONTO — Josh Hart was certainly included.
A few days after revealing some difficulties over his diminished role in the offense, the backup forward went off during a pivotal moment of the Knicks’ 119-106 victory over the Raptors on Friday night.
Normally a passive threat, Hart reeled off 15 consecutive Knicks points to end the third quarter, providing the visitors a 90-77 lead heading into the final period.
The Raptors (9-11) never recovered.
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.
New York’s bench, led by Hart and DiVincenzo, combined to outscore Toronto’s, 52-25.
the Knicks to a 119-106 win over the Raptors. Getty Images
Tom Thibodeau’s squad has found a groove heading into Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament quarterfinal at Milwaukee.
Hart struggled at the start to the season, particularly with his 3-point shot, leading to an eye-opening remark that he doesn’t “feel included” in 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.
At point guard, it was a rematch of the FIBA World Cup, where Jalen Brunson and Team USA lost to Dennis Schroder and Germany.
Schroder, a pesky defender with an impressive wingspan, bothered Brunson but not enough to stop Brunson from scoring 22 points with eight assists in 37 minutes.
Julius Randle was a force despite entering as a game-time decision with knee soreness.
It was the first time Randle landed on the injury report, but he didn’t look bothered while coming up an assist short of a triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists).
The Knicks had a rebounding problem in the first half.
They allowed the Raptors to grab 10 offensive rebounds, including three in one possession, as the score finished even at halftime.
The Knicks are now 10-0 this season against teams currently with a losing record.
The Raptors certainly aren’t as bad as New York’s previous two opponents — the Pistons and Hornets — but remain more of a play-in candidate than a legitimate East contender.
And they couldn’t stop Hart for 3 ½ impactful minutes.
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