Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart can claim something unique as Knicks teammates.
In dispatching the shorthanded Mavericks 128-113 on Tuesday, they became the first duo in franchise history to record triple-doubles in the same game.
And they did it with plenty of time to spare.
Josh Hart had another triple-double for the Knicks in their 128-113 win over the Mavericks on March 25, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Towns wrapped up his triple-double with an assist early in the fourth quarter, finishing his stat-stuffing evening with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Hart was done with a rebound in the third quarter — finishing with 16 points, 12 boards and 11 assists — as the Knicks pummeled the Mavericks with offense.
OG Anunoby’s exquisite performance — 35 points, 15-for-24 shooting — was overshadowed by the triple-doubles.
And Hart’s was historic by itself.
It represented his ninth triple-double of the season, eclipsing Clyde Frazier’s 56-year-old franchise record.
Frazier, the player most synonymous with the Knicks, coincidentally celebrates his 80th birthday Saturday, with a celebration planned by MSG Networks for the broadcast that night against the Blazers.
Towns had only twice previously recorded a triple-double, both with the Timberwolves, the most recent occurring in 2022.
Karl-Anthony Towns joined in on the triple-double fun. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Although a double triple-double was a first in New York, it’s not so rare throughout the NBA.
In fact, Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook did it for the Nuggets this season.
The Mavericks (35-38) were easy to pad the stats against.
They entered MSG as a shell of a team, with only nine active players.
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Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving were on the bench and wearing street clothes.
Luka Doncic is with the Lakers.
The Knicks (45-26) were also banged up without Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson.
But Tuesday still should’ve been an easy victory.
Josh Hart takes a shot in the third quarter during the Knicks’ win over the Mavs. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They had two days off after a home game Saturday against the awful Wizards, while the Mavericks were operating on the second night of a back-to-back following Monday’s win in Brooklyn.
Davis played at Barclays Center, then sat at MSG.
Still, the Knicks found themselves in a tight battle throughout the opening half. Naji Marshall, who entered averaging 13.1 points, feasted on New York’s defense with 28 in those opening two quarters.
The teams entered the break even at 68.
Then the Knicks stomped the Mavericks in the third quarter — allowing just 15 points in that period — and cruised behind their two stat-stuffers.
Hart had warned about not overlooking the Mavericks, no matter who they were missing.
The Knicks were coming off a discouraging three-game stretch that included losses to the Spurs and Hornets before the win over the Wizards.
“I think we’ve, over the last three or four games, for us, it’s always about us and we didn’t have the physicality or the energy that we needed,” Hart said. “We took a step up in a positive direction against Washington, but to the guys that are beat up, you know you might not know a couple guys on the team, but they’re coming in playing extremely hard.
Karl-Anthony Towns defends in the win on Tuesday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“When you don’t respect the game, don’t respect other players, you find yourself in a 12-0, 13-0 hole to start the game. Those guys are talented. They play extremely hard. They’re aggressive. They’re physical. So, we gotta make sure we don’t just match that, but exceed it, and if we don’t, it’s going to be a long day.”
