PHOENIX — Jalen Brunson had a major turnover in Friday’s loss, and Mike Brown pointed out that Mikal Bridges didn’t do enough to recover the ball.
“In those moments, you really need to seize the basketball,” the Knicks coach said. “You can’t just rely on the referee’s call. We have to fight for the ball, and we didn’t.”
With just 13.5 seconds remaining in a close 112-107 game against the Suns, Brunson’s pass was intercepted by defender Grayson Allen.
Bridges was right there, closest to the loose ball, but instead of diving for it, he let it go out of bounds. Allen seized the opportunity, picking it up and tossing it away from Bridges, which ended up being a crucial point in the game, especially with the Knicks leading by three at that moment.
This play was pivotal, marking New York’s fifth loss in the last six outings. Bridges, while averaging a career-low 1.4 free throw attempts per game, has been more cautious on the court this season.
Looking ahead, the Knicks (24-14) are set to face the Trail Blazers (19-20) this Sunday, a team that’s been finding its rhythm under coach Deni Avdija.
“They’re playing well right now,” Karl-Anthony Towns noted. “They’ve got some momentum. And as for us, we haven’t been at our best lately. This will be a challenge.”
Brown seems to be losing confidence in some of his younger players, choosing a tighter rotation for the game against the Suns. Only three bench players—Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, and Tyler Kolek—played more than four minutes.
Mohamed Diawara, a second-round rookie who started a few games while Josh Hart was out, hasn’t been on the floor for more than seven minutes in the last six games.
Kevin McCullough Jr. barely saw action on Friday, logging just one minute.
The Knicks also reported that Landry Shamet has had “controlled contact” during practices, indicating progress in his long-awaited recovery from a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, he won’t be playing in Sunday’s game, which will mark his 24th consecutive absence after dislocating his shoulder back in November.
Shamet had previously missed around ten weeks from a similar injury the previous season and wasn’t cleared for contact as of New Year’s Eve.
Miles McBride has been shooting well, hitting 45 percent from beyond the arc, which places him third in the league among players with at least 180 attempts before Saturday. When asked about the possibility of joining the All-Star 3-point competition, he smiled, saying, “I’ve definitely thought about it.”
However, he hasn’t been on the court shooting just yet.
“I haven’t practiced,” McBride said. “It would be a fun challenge.”
Still, the path to an All-Star invitation seems tricky for McBride; he made 81 three-pointers as of Saturday, ranking tied for 43rd in the league.
No Knicks player has ever scored in that particular event. Brunson represented the team last year but didn’t get past the first round.
