CHARLOTTE — After one other experience on the battle bus for Mikal Bridges Friday afternoon — throughout which the guard was benched for a lot of the fourth quarter of a detailed Knicks victory — he promised “I shall be higher” as teammates and The coach went forcefully to the plate for the beleaguered guard.
“I’m not nervous about (Bridges),” Josh Hart stated. “I feel the media and individuals are killing it. He’s in a brand new scenario. He is in a scenario the place he is performed 19 video games in a distinct function than he is performed the final 4 years. So it’s our job to maneuver it ahead. And all the opposite bullshit about what we gave up (the 5 first spherical picks to the Nets), it doesn’t suggest something.
“If we win, if we win a championship, nobody cares what number of picks we gave up. We may have given up 15 decisions, it does not matter. On the finish of the day, we’re making an attempt to win a championship. It should be a key a part of it.
Bridges, largely a two-way disappointment this season, had eight factors on 3-of-10 taking pictures and was utilized by Tom Thibodeau for less than three defensive possessions over the ultimate 8 1/2 minutes.
It was the second time Bridges was pulled down within the final 4 video games, as Thibodeau ran Friday with Miles McBride within the backcourt.
The Knicks (11-8) rapidly went on a run with out Bridges and pulled out the win to complete 3-2 on their highway journey.
“I’ve to play higher. I’ve been inconsistent,” stated Bridges, who entered Friday averaging 15.9 on 31 p.c from 3 whereas main the NBA in minutes. “I had matches the place I performed effectively, others not. You simply need to discover a rhythm throughout the staff. That is about it. Not even 20 video games, simply making an attempt to grasp.
Thibodeau stated he caught with McBride all through the stretch Friday as a result of he was “contemporary,” “making photographs” and “we have been sort of within the mud.”
Bridges, who was additionally on the bench in final week’s loss to the Jazz, stated Thibs “made the precise resolution.”
“Go on the market and win the sport. That’s a very powerful factor, successful the sport,” Bridges stated. “However sure, clearly I’ve to play higher. With the alternatives accessible to me, I have to convert.
“I had a number of sloppy turnovers. A couple of occasions (the place the opponent) scored on me coming into the center. I’ll get higher.
The top of the primary half was symbolic of the frustration.
With 1.1 seconds left after a Hornets bucket, the Knicks solely needed to throw the ball on the ground to succeed in halftime.
As an alternative, Bridges threw a cross straight into the palms of Charlotte’s Josh Inexperienced, who buried a jumper on the buzzer for a 49-46 benefit.
“I say this on a regular basis – hear, Mikal will get by way of this,” Thibodeau assured. “If he was a rookie, I’d be nervous as a result of we don’t know who the rookie actually is. There’s not a physique of labor. We all know Mikal has a number of work to do.
Regardless that Bridges did not acknowledge his change in offensive function as an issue, there was a transparent adjustment going from the No. 1 possibility with Brooklyn to a distant No. 3 and even No. 4 with the Knicks.
His aggression and confidence took a serious hit, with Bridges’ reluctance to hunt contact evident by the shortage of free throw makes an attempt (averaging lower than 1 per sport).
It is a critical sufficient downside that Hart stated the staff will work collectively to discover a answer.
“We now have to proceed to develop it,” Hart stated. “In case you go on the market and nitpick every part he does, it solely hurts him.
“So we’re all going to have a dialog about this. All of us want to maneuver it ahead. And that is once we’ll get one of the best model of Mikal. That’s 19 video games into the season. He is a hell of a participant. He was within the ultimate. He is aware of how one can win. So we are able to settle down with all of the criticism and nitpick a man who has gained each time he stepped on the sphere in any scenario. And lots of people cannot do what he does.
Jalen Brunson, who was additionally Bridges’ faculty teammate, added: “He is one among us. We do not depart anybody on an island.
