Knicks hope chemistry looks better vs. Pacers than it did in Celtics debacle
NY Post
Mikal Bridges has played in the Garden as a collegian at Villanova, as a visiting player in the NBA and in the preseason wearing a Knicks uniform.
But after an otherwise forgettable debut for their new team Tuesday night in Boston, Bridges and fellow newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns will play their first regular-season game at MSG on Friday night against the Pacers, who eliminated the Knicks in the playoffs last spring.
“Excited, man, really excited,” Bridges said after Thursday’s practice in Tarrytown. “I mean, I felt the energy in the preseason games. So just excited to go out there and get an opportunity to go get a win. It’s gonna be real fun.”
Tuesday’s opener in Beantown wasn’t fun for anyone associated with the Knicks as the Celtics raised their latest championship banner before blowing out the visitors while tying an NBA record with 29 made 3-pointers.
Towns had a quiet 12 points and seven rebounds, and Bridges finished with 16 after being held scoreless in the first half. He also admittedly had a poor game defensively while primarily guarding Jayson Tatum, who buried eight treys and finished with 37 points.
“I think all of us were just not putting enough pressure on the ball, and I think they just felt too comfortable,” Bridges said. “So I think it starts with being aggressive on ball, putting pressure, coming off ball screens from there, and then flying around and being on their toes, being right there when they’re about to shoot.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has not been shy about letting it be known that he believes he is sacrificing for the team.
The first few waves of free agency have come and gone. It feels like a good time to check in on what the Jets have done and what still needs to be done.
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Lamar Odom pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to the criminal charges he was hit with following his January run-in with cops in Nevada.
With the World Baseball Classic final tied in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa did not bring in one of the game’s best relief pitchers and it ultimately cost them the game.
The whirlwind of the first few days of NFL free agency came and went last week, and the Giants played their part in adding to the player movement frenzy.
The playoffs are exactly a month away, and it’s a good time to send a reminder that rotations will be tightened.
The whirlwind of the first few days of NFL free agency came and went last week, and the Giants played their part in adding to the player movement frenzy.
TORONTO — To understand what Tuesday was like for Matthew Schaefer, don’t start with the scene at his stall after morning skate, with Toronto media packed around him, but 20 minutes later in a corner of Scotiabank Arena.
TAMPA — You can make it about just one inning. Or that it still will only be March 18. Or about the miles left to go.
John Harbaugh could have looked at two offensive linemen the Giants selected in the 2022 draft, reviewed their performance on the field the past four years, said “No thanks,’’ and no one would have given him a hard time about it.
The playoffs are exactly a month away, and it’s a good time to send a reminder that rotations will be tightened.