Mikal Bridges has turned a shaky start to the postseason into steady production, validating head coach Mike Brown’s decision to keep him in the New York Knicks’ starting five.
After going scoreless with four turnovers in 21 minutes during Game 3 of the first-round series against Atlanta, the veteran wing has averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting .667 from the field, .444 from three and 1.000 at the foul line over the club’s last seven outings—all victories. Bridges also drew praise for helping contain Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey during New York’s second-round sweep.
Front-court pairing pays off
Brown has sparingly deployed the twin-tower combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, but the results have been eye-catching. In just 20 shared playoff minutes, the Knicks are plus-27.9 points per 100 possessions. “We feel it’s a little easier to play with them—not just defensively, but offensively, too,” Brown said.
Towns takes on larger role
New York has rattled off seven straight wins since Brown shifted more of the offense through Towns. Former Kentucky coach John Calipari—who coached Towns in college—said the approach elevates the entire roster. “Playing through him the way they are doesn’t take away from anybody else’s game,” Calipari noted, likening the center’s facilitation to Nikola Jokić.
Nine days to prepare
The Knicks closed out Philadelphia last Sunday and will not play again until the conference finals open Tuesday night, creating a nine-day layoff. Brown is uncertain whether the downtime will help or hurt. “You can say they’re going to be tired, but you can also say they have a competitive edge because they’ve been going at it for seven games and we’ve been off,” he said. The coaching staff has mixed in various drills and scrimmages to “keep them sharp, keep them focused and try to keep their competitive edge up.”
The Knicks enter the next round riding momentum on the floor and time to rest off it, banking on both to extend their postseason run.
Source: Hoops Rumors
