Mikal Bridges struggled to comprise Trae Younger a lot of the evening. However he shut him down when it mattered most.
Younger scored 38 factors and dished 19 assists within the Knicks’ 149-148 win over the Hawks on Wednesday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard, serving to lead a wild Atlanta comeback within the fourth quarter to drive additional time.
After Jalen Brunson drilled a jumper to place the Knicks forward by the ultimate rating with 11 seconds left in additional time, Younger threatened to interrupt the Knicks’ hearts as soon as once more.
However Bridges blocked Younger’s floater, and regardless of the Hawks grabbing the rebound, Georges Niang’s 3-pointer was off and the Knicks survived.
“His resolve, dedication, the desire, the need to, he does it recreation after recreation,” coach Tom Thibodeau stated of Bridges. “And Trae is a load to take care of as a result of you may get the primary [screen] proper after which the second is coming, then there’s a 3rd one after which to have the resolve to maintain combating and preserve doing it over and over. That’s a variety of screens you’re combating via. You possibly can’t say sufficient about what he sacrifices each recreation for the workforce and what it means to profitable.”
Bridges added 11 factors.
“Simply everyone serving to one another making an attempt to win the sport,” Bridges stated of the ultimate cease. “He’s made it tough for everyone.”
safe an additional time win over the Hawks. Jason Szenes for New York Put up
The look ahead to OG Anunoby’s return will proceed till at the very least after the All-Star break.
He missed Wednesday’s win, the fifth straight recreation he’s been out since struggling a non-contact foot sprain in the course of the workforce’s loss to the Lakers on Feb. 1.
The Knicks listed him as questionable for the sport — the identical designation he had for Tuesday’s win over the Pacers — and Thibodeau stated he was a game-time resolution, however Anunoby didn’t go well with up.
He didn’t heat up on the court docket previous to the sport, so he seemingly wasn’t that shut.
It wouldn’t have made a lot sense to hurry Anunoby again for Wednesday’s conflict, the Knicks’ final earlier than the break.
As an alternative, he’ll have one other week to get well earlier than the Knicks’ subsequent recreation, towards the Bulls, on Feb. 20.
“It’s day-to-day,” Thibodeau stated earlier than Wednesday’s recreation. “It’s tolerance. Figuring out, see how he feels the subsequent day, how he responds, in order that’s the place we’re.”
Miles McBride was additionally listed as questionable and was described as a game-time resolution with a rib damage.
He performed, however exited the sport early with a rib contusion.
Hart pointed his finger proper in Niang’s face after the latter missed the potential game-winning shot as time expired in additional time.
It’s unclear what prompted Hart’s response, and the Knicks closed the locker room after the sport earlier than he may communicate.