Mikal Bridges Benched in Knicks’ Loss to Pistons
In yet another game this season, Mikal Bridges found himself sitting on the bench during the crucial moments of the fourth quarter.
During the Knicks’ 126-111 defeat to the Pistons at Madison Square Garden, Landry Shamet was given the opportunity to play, and his coach, Mike Brown, seemed to have confidence in him, letting Shamet take the court for the last nine and a half minutes.
“Landry was hitting some shots. We needed points,” Brown explained. “Both players are strong defensively, but it wasn’t a case of thinking, ‘Mikal can’t handle this,’ so he had to sit. We were just looking for someone to score, and Landry was the guy nailing shots from behind the arc.”
Shamet ended with 15 points over 28 minutes of play, while Bridges, who had recently signed a hefty $150 million contract extension after being traded for five first-round picks, managed only eight points in 25 minutes. Not exactly what they expected, huh?
Bridges also struggled, going 0-for-3 from three-point range. This isn’t the first time he has found himself seated towards the end of games; he was also benched for Shamet during matches against the Sixers and Lakers earlier this month.
Tank talk is becoming rampant throughout the NBA lately. Commissioner Adam Silver remarked during the All-Star break that the current season’s tanking issues are “worse than in recent memory,” and he is exploring “every possible remedy” to address the situation.
Before the game against the Pistons, Brown shared his thoughts on the matter. “By season’s end, we aim to be in the mix for a chance at the playoffs,” he said. “Maybe introducing a small tournament before the playoffs where the team with the worst record gets the best shot at improving might shift the dynamics.”
The Knicks, who are certainly not in tank mode, are in a completely different situation. In fact, the Jazz and Pacers have already faced fines—$500,000 and $100,000, respectively—for resting healthy players in their recent games.
Throughout his coaching career, Brown’s teams have steered clear of tanking, but he acknowledges that it’s becoming a troubling trend across the league. “Adam is a sharp guy; he’s good for the league, so I’ve got faith he’ll find a solution,” Brown said.
OG Anunoby’s Return
OG Anunoby also made a comeback on Thursday, though not without some pain—he played with a toenail removed and managed to score eight points in 32 minutes. He had missed the previous four games due to a toenail avulsion on his right foot, which, understandably, he described as “quite painful.”
Normally tasked with guarding Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, Anunoby’s absence had a noticeable impact when the Knicks previously lost 118-80 to Detroit in their first game back before the break.
In a somewhat heated discussion, agent Rich Kleiman took to social media to strongly criticize Knicks owner James Dolan. Meanwhile, Madison Square Garden Sports announced plans to potentially split the Knicks and Rangers into two separate public entities for trading.
Kleiman, who co-founded Boardroom with Kevin Durant, commented on an Instagram post mentioning they might share ownership of both teams, saying he was not interested unless Dolan was no longer in charge. It’s an intriguing situation, especially since Durant chose the Nets over the Knicks back in 2019.
