A heartbreaking night for the New York Knicks was thankfully not heartbreaking.

Amid a 16-point, 13-rebound night, Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart left Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with an apparent ankle injury. Hart was in the locker room as the Knicks’ hopes faded with a 110-104 loss at Madison Square Garden.

“I haven’t spoken to the doctor,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said immediately afterward (h/t New York Basketball on X). “They said it was a bruise, but I couldn’t get any further.”

Hart was one of the most consistent silver linings of Monday’s game as he earned his second straight double-double. Such a tough effort helped the Knicks (1-2) keep pace after a slow shooting start, as they were already just one point away from a double-double at halftime.

Hart’s medical incident occurred late in the fourth quarter as the Knicks tried to prevent a Cleveland comeback. While catching a ball from the hands of Darius Garland, Hart touched Caris LeVert and fell to the ground in pain. Although LeVert was found not guilty of a flagrant foul, Hart went to the line for two successful free throws.

After singles, Hart tried to play through the illness, but asked Thibodeau for a substitution with 4:04 left after an offensive foul by Ariel Hukporti. After Hart retreated to the Knicks’ locker room, Cleveland (4-0) sealed the win, thanks in part to a 5-2 advantage in rebounds over the final four-plus minutes. The Knicks grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in the first two periods, but only managed two more in the final 24 periods. Hart and Mikal Bridges each scored four in the loss.

Hart was previously diagnosed as questionable for Monday’s game with “ankle impingement” after overcoming a slight limp in Friday’s win over Indiana.

“Obviously it’s hard to see someone not finish the game, and you want your brothers out there to finish the game with you,” Hart’s teammate and close friend Jalen Brunson said, according to Newsday’s Steve Popper. “I don’t know what the situation is, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Hart’s dangerous preseason, in which he described himself as “lost,” already feels like ancient history: His early rebounding skills, picking up where he left off last season, are a welcome sight as the Knicks continue dealing with the losses of Isaiah Hartenstein and Julius Randle as well as the continued medical absences of Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson.

But the fact that Hart, known for his 48-minute efforts, immediately asked to leave is potentially a worrying sign for those already panicking about the Knicks’ slow start, especially with a road trip looming over four games. In addition to Hart, the Knicks also experienced a brief scare from Brunson when the captain also fled to the locker room in the third quarter, although he quickly returned to finish things off.

The Knicks will be back in action on Wednesday when the early tour begins in South Beach against the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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