Pistons head coach Monty Williams seemed to throw some shade at Donte DiVincenzo’s record-setting performance on Monday night against Williams’ Pistons, saying he “couldn’t care less” about the 11 threes because of “the way they got those threes.”
The comment seemed to suggest that the Knicks were hunting the 3-pointer for DiVincenzo down the stretch thanks to the cozy lead they held over Detroit, which ended with DiVincenzo checking out of the game with the new franchise record for threes in a game, and getting a warm ovation from the MSG crowd.
Asked about Williams’ comments after the game, DiVincenzo’s teammate Josh Hart came to his defense, saying Williams’ team simply could have done a better job defending.
“If he didn’t want to be part of the story, he should’ve told his guys to defend better,” Hart said. “What else there to say? We’ve got a guy that’s hot. We’re going to try to find the guy that’s hot. That’s common sense in basketball.
“He’s a head coach in the league. He should have the IQ to know if someone’s hot, you go to him. They’re gonna be a part of that story regardless.”
It’s the second time in as many trips to MSG that Williams has sounded off after a loss to the Knicks, previously going on a tirade against the officials when a hectic final sequence led to no foul calls and an and-1 for Hart that won the game for New York. The two teams don’t play again this season.