After a second-straight loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks will have to make adjustments after falling behind in the first-round series, 2-1. One possible tweak to the lineup might involve forward Mikal Bridges.
Mikal Bridges, 29, had one of the most struggling outings of his eight-year NBA career. In Game 3’s loss, the $150 million forward was unable to log any points, one rebound, and two assists. His highest statistic was in the worst category: turnovers. Bridges finished with four.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown noticed Bridges struggling early in the second half. This led to the usual defensive anchor playing in just four of the final 24 minutes of Game 3. Brown decided to rely on Deuce McBride, who finished with 15 points off five three-pointers.
After a forgettable performance, should Mike Brown and the Knicks turn towards someone other than Mikal Bridges?
Mikal Bridges Addresses Game 3 Performance
After one of his worst performances as a member of the New York Knicks, Mikal Bridges addressed the media after the Game 3 loss.
“I had more turnovers [today] than I had in the first two games combined. Just sloppy overall,” Bridges said, according to Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News. “Just a bad turnover day for me. I’ve just got to clean it up. It’s on me.”
Although Bridges has been one of the Knicks’ clutch defensive players in recent years, Mike Brown decided to keep him out of the game for the final minutes of the one-point loss.
“Yeah, [I wanted to help in crunch time], but I’ve just got to be better so I can be out there,” Bridges added.
Instead, the Knicks went with a lineup consisting of Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns for the majority of the final minutes in Game 3.
Mikal Bridges went in for a final defensive possession when CJ McCollum hit a step-back mid-range shot to ultimately secure the win for the Hawks. Besides that, Deuce McBride was hitting shots and got the nod instead of Bridges.
Mike Brown Breaks Down His Decision to Bench Mikal Bridges in Game 3
There is a sense of panic that has filled New York. The Knicks, who are led by first-year head coach Mike Brown, are down one game while on the road.
“Stuff’s gonna happen,” Brown said after the loss. “Plenty of teams have been down 1-2. I even think Oklahoma City (Thunder) was down 1-2 last year, and they end up winning the title. Now, it should sting, because we gave ourselves a chance knowing that we didn’t play our best basketball.”
The head coach also acknowledged his decision to bench Mikal Bridges, given his zero-point night.
“I’m not concerned about him. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there; he’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine, but [benching him] is what the game called for, and it’s what I went with.”
It appears that Brown isn’t worried about Bridges’ performance moving forward and expects him to return to his usual ways in Game 4 on Saturday.
Falling into a 2-1 deficit in the series, you can’t help but think Game 4 is a must-win scenario. If New York is unable to pull through in the road game, there’s a possibility that the Knicks can be eliminated from playoff contention in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd.
Mikal Bridges, Mike Brown Address Offensive Struggles After Knicks’ Game 3 Loss