Mikal Bridges scoreless, sits most of 2nd half in Knicks' loss

ATLANTA -- New York Knicks coach Mike Brown isn't ready to bench Mikal Bridges, but he took a step toward it in a disappointing Game 3 finish in Atlanta.

Bridges didn't play for much of the second half in the Knicks' 109-108 loss to the Hawkson Thursday, as New York trails the first-round series 2-1.

Bridges went scoreless and was a minus-26, committing four turnovers. He struggled in the second half of Game 2, when he was also scoreless and a minus-11 as the Hawks staged a fourth-quarter comeback to steal home-court advantage in this series.

Brown went with Miles McBride after pulling Bridges in the opening minutes of the third quarter, bringing him back for only Atlanta's final offensive possession, which resulted in aCJ McCollumpull-up jumper that gave the Hawks a one-point lead with 12.5 seconds left.

Bridges has been under fire all season, his second in New York, because of the draft capital the Knicks sacrificed to acquire him. He scored 11 points in the Knicks' Game 1 win but has been ineffective since.

"I'm not concerned about him," Brown said. "I just went with what I felt the game called for that time. Mikal's a pro. He's played hundreds of basketball games, so he should be fine."

Bridges' 21 minutes Thursday were the fewest he has played in 60 playoff games. He played 23 minutes in a Western Conference finals blowout win when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2021.

Bridges said he was "so sloppy" with the ball, referencing his turnovers. He took accountability for his play, saying he wants to be out there in late-game situations.

"I've got to take this on the chin, handle it how I'm supposed to and be ready for the next one," he said. "You know it's going to suck. It is what it is. I've just got to be better to help my team out there."

McBride was one of the few Knicks who found success from 3-point range, hitting five, while OG Anunoby hit four. Anunoby led the Knicks with 29 points and added nine rebounds.

"It's a seven-game series for a reason," Brown said. "Stuff's going to happen. Plenty of teams have been down 1-2. Oklahoma City was down last year [in the Finals] and ended up winning it. I'm not saying we're going to win it [all], but the reality is, it's seven games."

Last year, the Knicks lost Game 2 in the first round to Detroit but won both games on the road to take a 3-1 lead. Atlanta was far more aggressive this time.

The Hawks got more strong contributions from Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 21 points off the bench, with his athleticism and activity catching the Knicks off-guard.

It's just another example of Atlanta making the Knicks feel very uncomfortable in these past two games.

The Knicks' final offensive possessions were ragged. Jalen Brunson, the league's Clutch Player of the Year last season, air-balled a right-wing 3-pointer on their second-to-last offensive possession.

And after McCollum's late bucket, Brunson couldn't get the ball in enough time to catch a rhythm and was swarmed on the baseline, resulting in a turnover on the game's final play.

It is a rarity to see the Knicks so frazzled and disorganized late in games. They couldn't keep their fourth-quarter momentum after Brunson nailed a triple with 1:03 remaining to give the Knicks their first lead of the night.

"I wish I had a better answer for you," Brunson said. "I got nothing right now."

Brunson scored 26 but missed all five of his 3-point attempts and was being hunted on defense by the Hawks just like in Game 2, when McCollum brought them back in the fourth quarter.

Brunson gave the Hawks credit for their 3-point defense as the Knicks shot just 29% while the Hawks shot 39% and hit three more of their attempts.

"They're doing a great job, they're not really running us off the line," Brunson said. "I think they're doing a good job of just pressuring. They're making everything difficult."

Facing the possibility of a 3-1 deficit Saturday night, the pressure is squarely on the Knicks.