The New York Knicks’ comeback win over the Miami Heat on Sunday featured one very notable change down the stretch. Mikal Bridges was benched in the entire fourth quarter in favor of Miles McBride, whose energy on both ends of the floor ignited a spark for New York.
Knicks’ Mikal Bridges was benched in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Heat
Bridges played a total of 28 minutes but recorded just five points on 2-for-11 shooting. Additionally, he was a -5 in the contest, the only starter with a negative plus-minus. He appeared in just one lone possession in both the fourth quarter and overtime.
McBride, meanwhile, was a major spark for the Knicks. He recorded 12 points and shot 3-for-7 from three-point range in 30 minutes played off the bench, and he had a plus-minus of +11 on the night, the second-highest only to Jalen Brunson who was a +12.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau explained after Sunday’s win over Miami that the reason he stuck with McBride is because the lineup he had him in was working to their advantage.
“Just help the team any way you can,” Thibodeau said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “And I think that goes a long way. Some nights it may be somebody else’s night. And that’s the guy we got to ride. If we’re putting the team first, that’s what we got to do.”
Miles McBride has appeared in closing situations more often lately
Sunday against Miami was the second straight game that Thibodeau used McBride in late-game situations down the stretch. Though Bridges wasn’t formally benched in their inspiring win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, he played just five minutes in the quarter compared to McBride’s seven, and it was the team’s sixth man that generated the spark on both ends for New York.
The Knicks acquired Bridges in a massive trade with the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason in which New York gave up five first-round picks. Bridges has had an inconsistent first year with the Knicks, at times looking like the player they traded for and at other times barely looking playable.
Evidently, it is taking a bit longer than anticipated for him to adjust to his role in New York. Luckily for them, McBride has taken huge steps forward s a reserve this season and has been one of their most impactful players. The West Virginia product is currently averaging 9.3 points per game and is shooting 37.6% from three-point range.
It is unclear if these last two games are indication of anything involving the rotation, but it is clear that Thibodeau has a lot more trust in McBride than Bridges right now. New York has their next game on Tuesday against the red-hot Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden.