Knicks’ Mikal Bridges benched almost entire fourth quarter due to poor shooting
NY Post
SALT LAKE CITY — Mikal Bridges understood why he did not return to Saturday’s game.
The imported Knicks starter endured his roughest shooting game of the season, and he didn’t play over the final 10:03 of a 121-106 loss to the Jazz.
Bridges scored a season-low seven points on 3-for-15 shooting, including six misses in seven tries from 3, in 33 minutes. He sat in favor of veteran guard Cam Payne down the stretch.
“For sure, our biggest thing, obviously I was struggling, but our biggest thing is to win,” Bridges said after the game. “Cam came in and he was playing well. He was part of that team that was making that run.“I was more just frustrated that I couldn’t be out there to help the team and frustrated that the first three quarters I was out there I couldn’t really do much. But yeah, I understand it. We’re trying to win a game, and that’s all I care about, so I think that was the right decision.”
Tom Thibodeau said that he stuck with Payne — who scored 11 points with five assists in 31 minutes off the bench — because he was bringing needed energy, especially during a 17-0 run that brought the Knicks within two late in the third quarter.
“I was just looking for anything that could get us going,” Thibodeau said. “And it wasn’t just Mikal. Cam I thought came in and he gave us a big spark. I almost went back to Jericho [Sims] at the end because I thought his minutes were good for us, as well. When you get down like we did, you’re just searching for anything to get you going. That’s really what we were doing.”
The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
‘Freak of nature: Zion Williamson’s resurgence could pose a Knicks problem versus motivated Pelicans
Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.
Don’t blame Mikal Bridges for his paltry stats. Blame the role.
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.