Knicks weigh lineup shake-up after Bridges’ scoreless night
knicks-weigh-lineup-shake-up-after-bridges-scoreless-night
The New York Knicks are considering changes ahead of Saturday’s Game 4 against Atlanta after a dismal Game 3 showing in which Mikal Bridges failed to score in 20 minutes and committed four turnovers.
Bridges benched for long stretches
Head coach Mike Brown stayed with Bridges in the starting five on Thursday but pulled him just two minutes into the third quarter, replacing him with guard Miles McBride. The NBA’s current iron-man returned to open the fourth, immediately turned the ball over on his lone play-making attempt and was removed again in favor of McBride.
“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one,” Bridges said post-game.
Brown told reporters Friday that his starting lineup for Game 4 will be a game-time decision, saying he is “not ruling anything out.” Slow starts have plagued New York all series, and SNY reported the staff is weighing whether McBride should open alongside Jalen Brunson.
Limited role for Robinson
Backup center Mitchell Robinson logged only 11 minutes in Game 3, finishing with four rebounds—just the seventh time all season he has collected four or fewer boards. Brown acknowledged difficulty pairing Robinson with Karl-Anthony Towns, noting any two-big alignment must work “offensively and defensively over the course of a ballgame.”
Hart’s impact beyond scoring
Josh Hart went 1-for-9 from the field and scored two points in 40 minutes on Thursday, yet Brown continues to lean heavily on the forward. Hart is averaging 12.0 rebounds through three games and has been assigned to slow both Jalen Johnson and CJ McCollum, roles The Athletic described as vital to keeping New York from a 3-0 deficit.
Free-throw frustration
Brown also voiced concern over a 26-to-20 free-throw gap that favored Atlanta in the one-possession defeat. “I know we got fouled on a few of the drives that didn’t get called,” he said, adding that hard closeouts should lead to more whistles for his team when they attack the rim.
New York trails the best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Saturday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden.
Source: Hoops Rumors
