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[Saba Sports News] Wednesday’s playoff showdown between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks briefly turned into a scene out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme film.
In the first quarter of Game 5 at TD Garden, Knicks guard Josh Hart took a nasty blow to the face from Celtics center Luke Kornet. As Hart went up for a shot in transition, Kornet attempted to contest and accidentally caught him with an elbow.
The impact immediately opened up a wound — blood poured from Hart’s face, soaking his jersey and shorts.
Despite the graphic injury, Hart stayed in the game after switching into a clean uniform and calmly sank both free throws. Kornet was assessed a personal foul but avoided a flagrant.
It wasn’t the only punishment Hart took that night. In the second half, he was on the receiving end of a low blow from Jaylen Brown, sparking a shoving match that led to double technical fouls.
Hart’s bloody moment echoed a similar scene from Boston’s first-round series against the Orlando Magic, when Kristaps Porzingis was bloodied by an elbow from Goga Bitadze.
The Celtics may lead the series, but Game 5 left Hart looking more like he’d stepped out of a wrestling ring than an NBA arena.