As Jalen Brunson sits, Josh Hart helps with Knicks point duties

This was not exactly the New Year’s celebration the Knicks had in mind.

About one-half hour before the Knicks tipped off against the Jazz Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks announced Jalen Brunson would not play due to right calf tightness.

Brunson, who had played in each of the first 33 games of the season, was replaced by Cam Payne in the starting lineup. Brunson  is averaging 25.2 points and 7.7 assists and ranks fourth on the Knicks with an average of 34.9 minutes per game.

“It’s a game-time decision,” Tom Thibodeau said about Brunson during his pregame availability.

It was not clear immediately when the decision to sit Brunson was made.

For the Knicks (23-10), who entered the season series finale against Utah (7-24) having won eight straight overall and 12 out of 14 in December, some of the responsibility for initiating the offense against the Jazz was assigned to Josh Hart.

Hart ranks second on the team with 5.5 assists per game, and is coming off a triple-double performance in the Knicks’ 126-106 rout of the Wizards in Washington Monday night.

Hart finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in recording his ninth triple-double as a Knick. Only Hall of Famer Richie Guerin (16), Micheal Ray Richardson (18) and franchise icon Walt Frazier (23) are ahead of Hart on the Knicks’ all-time list for triple-doubles.

“We've done it since he's been here,” Thibodeau said, when asked when he first thought Hart could serve as a point forward. “It's just the initiation of the offense. The thing that we want to establish is to play with pace, to get it up the floor fast and then create movement.

And once we create the movement, we want everyone playing to their strengths. And so what it does is it gives us another weapon for Jalen. So you have to guard Jalen off the dribble, but then you also have to guard him off the pass. And some guys are better off the dribble and not as good off the pass. We try to take advantage of it that way, and then we get the defense to react to us.

"And I like the way Josh [plays] because of his rebounding and his ability to push the ball. I think those are the hardest fast breaks to stop. And so we want as many easy baskets as we can get. Want as many layups as we can get. And I think he helps initiate that.”

Hart, whose 37.1 minutes per game ranks second on the Knicks, said Pelicans coach Willie Green asked him to initiate the offense during his two-and-a-half seasons in New Orleans (2019-22).

“He put me in positions to make plays and start plays and get those guys involved,” Hart said. “Portland, a little bit also . . . I’d bring the ball up and get us into a couple plays and obviously here I’m extremely comfortable doing it.”

Notes & quotes: Deuce McBride was questionable against Jazz with left hamstring tightness, which was suffered during warmups . . .Thibodeau said Mitchell Robinson “hasn’t been cleared” to start full speed running but believes the center will receive clearance at some point in January . . . Thibodeau praised Derrick Rose, who will be honored by the Bulls during their home game Saturday night against the Knicks. Thibodeau coached Rose with the Bulls between 2010 and 2015. The two reunited with Minnesota and on the Knicks. “His numbers say what he did was incredible. He’s had an unbelievable career,” Thibodeau said. “To me, there’s no question He’s a Hall of Fame player, he’s a Hall of Fame guy . . . Hart expressed condolences to New Orleans in the aftermath of the terrorist attack Wednesday morning. “Hearts and prayers go out to the people who were affected. I loved my time in New Orleans,” Hart said. “New Orleans, people who don’t know New Orleans, it’s so vibrant. It’s lively . . . People travel to go there, to get there to celebrate New Year’s, Mardi Gras, stuff like that. It’s just tragic. Bourbon Street is just a melting pot.”