Dylan Backer
The New York Knicks are in real trouble. Down 2-1 in the first round series against the Atlanta Hawks, a team with serious title aspirations now finds themselves suddenly on the brink of heading home much earlier this year after losing Game 3 108-109.
Knicks need to bench Mikal Bridges in Game 4
The Knicks were down by as much as 18 at one point, getting out worked all night long. New York came back to take a three-point lead late, but more mistakes from the personnel across the board did them in.
Most notably, Mikal Bridges continues to give the Knicks nothing of value. In Game 3, he had one of the worst games of his Knicks career, going scoreless in 21 minutes and finishing as a -26 despite the team only losing by one point.
Bridges was benched for Miles McBride in the fourth quarter due to his struggles. McBride provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on five threes, including a few clutch ones down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get the Knicks the win.
Making the change shows a sense of urgency
The lineup that included the usual starting five with McBride in Bridges’ place performed very well, as they were a +24 in only 14 minutes on the court together, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. The Knicks may need to make that change to the actual starting five, as they are now playing with desperation with their season on the line.
New York was viewed as the heavy favorite entering the series, but they are now suddenly the underdog the rest of the way with them trailing halfway through the series. They need to play with desperation, and making the change might be the only solution right now.
Game 4 is set for Saturday in Atlanta, and it is a must-win game if New York wants to get back in the series and avoid a catastrophic upset.
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