Josh Hart surpasses Clyde Frazier for most triple-doubles in a Knicks season

Josh Hart reached a new level to prove he is not a one-dimensional player on Tuesday night.

The veteran notched his ninth triple-double of the season in the Walt “Clyde” Frazier for most triple-doubles in a single season in the franchise’s history.

Frazier, who held the record for 56 years, completed his eighth triple-double on March 21 of the 1968-69 season against the Suns with 24 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds.

Hart broke the record with 16 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds.

“It’s just a blessing. I got a great group of guys,” Hart said. “Great high-character group of guys. Means I at least played nine good games out of 82 so far, or sixty whatever. But yeah man, it’s just a blessing. Can’t say more than that.”

Outside of the feat, it was an important shooting night for Hart, who hadn’t found the basket as easily in the Knicks previous eight games, all without Jalen Brunson.

Hart averaged 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range, averaging 9.9 points per game before Tuesday.

In the 59 games before Brunson landed on the health bill, Hart shot 54.7 percent from the field and 32.8 from beyond the arc for 14.5 points.

Yet, scoring isn’t the singular thing that defines Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who also had a triple-double to mark the first time in franchise history two Knicks recorded a triple-double in the same game, was glad to see his teammate have several of his talents represented in one game.

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“The way he does it is special. It’s all energy, it’s effort, and it’s for the betterment of the team,” Towns said. “I’m just happy that Josh gets stats on the sheet that show the impact he’s making on the game because I feel there’s much more stats that don’t show up on the stat sheet that he does for our team. So, I’m happy he’s having this moment.”

Hart grabbed the game ball following the win, but didn’t take it for himself. Rather, he gave it to rookie Kevin McCullar Jr., who scored his first career points in the fourth quarter.

“For me, that’s an easy decision,” he said. “That record is cool and a blessing, but at the end of the day that record’s going to get broken at some point. … Getting your first NBA points, no one is going to take that away from you.”