Bridges’ Late Surge and Towns’ Playmaking Give Knicks Momentum Ahead of East Finals
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The New York Knicks will enter the Eastern Conference finals on a seven-game winning streak, buoyed by forward Mikal Bridges’ resurgent offense and center Karl-Anthony Towns’ expanded role as a facilitator.
Bridges rewards Brown’s patience
Head coach Mike Brown kept Bridges in the rotation despite the forward scoring just 17 points combined over the first three games of the opening-round series against Atlanta, including a scoreless Game 3. Since Game 4 of that matchup, Bridges has averaged 15.6 points while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range. He has also taken on primary defensive assignments, limiting 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey during New York’s second-round sweep of Philadelphia.
“It’s always great when your coach trusts you,” Bridges said after the series clincher. “Teammates kept me confident, too.”
“Twin Towers” deliver in limited minutes
Brown has seldom used Towns and Mitchell Robinson together, but the pairing has produced a plus-27.9 net rating in roughly 20 minutes, according to the New York Daily News. Brown said the duo has proved effective “not just defensively, but offensively, too.”
Towns orchestrates offense
Shifting more playmaking responsibilities to Towns has coincided with the Knicks’ current winning streak. Former Kentucky coach John Calipari, who coached Towns in college, called the approach “Jokic style,” noting that running the offense through the big man “adds to everybody else’s game.”
Nine days to prepare
The Knicks finished their second-round sweep on May — giving them nine full days off before Tuesday’s conference-final opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown acknowledged that extended rest can be a double-edged sword: “You can say they’re going to be tired, but you can also say they have a competitive edge.” During the downtime, the coaching staff has focused on maintaining conditioning and “keeping their competitive edge up,” Brown said.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals is set for Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Source: Hoops Wire
