Mikal Bridges held scoreless as Knicks drop Game 3 to Hawks
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ATLANTA — New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges sat for most of the second half and failed to score in Thursday’s 109-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, leaving the Knicks behind 2-1 in their first-round series.
Head coach Mike Brown removed Bridges early in the third quarter after four turnovers and a minus-26 rating. The 6-foot-6 wing returned only for Atlanta’s final offensive possession, when CJ McCollum hit a pull-up jumper that put the Hawks ahead by one with 12.5 seconds left.
Bridges, in his second season with New York, had scored 11 points in Game 1 but has gone scoreless in the past two contests. His 21 minutes on Thursday were the fewest of his 60 playoff appearances.
“I just went with what I felt the game called for,” Brown said. “Mikal’s a pro. He’s played hundreds of games, so he should be fine.”
Bridges acknowledged his struggles. “I was so sloppy with the ball,” he said. “I’ve got to take this on the chin and be ready for the next one.”
Miles McBride replaced Bridges and hit five three-pointers. OG Anunoby led New York with 29 points and nine rebounds, while Jalen Brunson added 26 but missed all five attempts from beyond the arc.
Atlanta received 21 points off the bench from Jonathan Kuminga and shot 39% from long range compared with New York’s 29% (10-for-35).
Brunson, last season’s NBA Clutch Player of the Year, air-balled a right-wing three on the Knicks’ penultimate possession and turned the ball over on the game’s final play. “I wish I had a better answer for you,” he said.
The Knicks face the prospect of a 3-1 deficit when the series resumes Saturday night in Atlanta.
Source: ESPN
