Knicks’ Josh Hart Bloodied in Game 5 Loss to Celtics, Tensions Flare with Jaylen Brown

In a gritty Game 5 showdown, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart took a brutal elbow to the face, leaving him with a bloody gash above his eye that required stitches. The injury, suffered late in the first quarter, forced Hart to briefly exit the court, but the tough-as-nails player returned to lead his team with a valiant 24 points, despite the Knicks’ 127-105 defeat to the Boston Celtics.

The game wasn’t just about physical wounds. Tensions flared in the third quarter when Hart and Celtics’ Jaylen Brown got tangled up after a hard screen, sparking a shoving match that officials quickly diffused. Hart downplayed the scuffle, calling it a clash of “two competitive guys” trying to fire up their teams. Post-game, both players seemed to bury the hatchet, focusing on the bigger battle ahead.

Boston, reeling from Jayson Tatum’s injury, leaned heavily on Brown’s 26 points and 12 assists, while Derrick White erupted for 34 points, sinking seven 3-pointers. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s resilience, saying they did “what was necessary” to keep the series alive. The Knicks, now facing a do-or-die moment, head back to New York for Game 6 on Friday night.

Hart, sporting a stitched-up eye, remained defiant. “Eye’s peachy,” he quipped, ready to fight another day.