Just like in his rookie season, injury has created an opportunity for Josh Hart to start and he’s making the most of it. Brandon Ingram remaining sidelined a sprained left ankle pressed Hart into the lineup in each of the past two games.
He struggled Friday night against the Spurs, scoring just 7 points on 3-for-8 shooting. Hart missed all five of his attempts behind the arc. Saturday was a much different story, however, as he had 16 points and was one of six Lakers to score in double-figures.
Hart knocked down 50 percent of his shot attempts, which included connecting on 4-of-7 from deep. One sequence saw him make three consecutive 3-pointers.
Following the win, Hart explained his focus was on moving forward after a poor shooting night and his pregame work with assistant coach Miles Simon included addressing a specific area, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I told Miles pregame that I wanted to do more catch-and-shoot. Just kind of get a little bit better rhythm. It felt good pregame, so I was just like, ‘If I catch it, I’m going to let it fly.'”
Hart’s string of 3-pointers were instrumental to the Lakers maintaining control of the game in the second quarter. And though he was found in spot-up situations, he also made a spinning jump shot off the dribble.
The start was Hart’s fifth this season, and he’s now averaging 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in those contests. He figures to remain in the lineup throughout the week as Ingram is not due to be re-evaluated until Saturday.
