Why Michal Bridges’ late-game benching could be necessary in the midst of a title chase

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks’ 18-point comeback win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night brought a stunning finish. Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive intensity led to a fourth-quarter push that saw Jalen Brunson save the day. However, with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter, Coach Mike Brown continued a controversial late game trend by sending Mikal Bridges aside.

The coach replaced the starting wing with Landry Shamethe told reporters after the game that assistant coach Rick Brunson credit for the idea. On Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons, Bridges sat for the final 9:31. He also finished contests against the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers in late January and early February, respectively, on the bench.

Bridges have replaced cities the final five seconds of the game, with New York’s four-point lead allowing them to focus on defense. But the 29-year-old wing, who Leon Rose and the Knicks front office signed to a $150 million extension this summer, has spent the vast majority of his time on the bench.

He was watching Brunson breaks down Houston’s defense alongside Josh Hart, who sat to make way for the newly acquired Alvarado. The Brooklyn native recorded his third, fourth and fifth steals in those minutes, making just one of three late shots, but provided the energy and aggression New York needed to shut down Kevin Durant’s group.

Bridges repeats Celtics playoff magic with 3-pointer against Bulls

On Sunday night, in a rematch of the Knicks’ back-to-back weekend, the team defeated the Chicago Bulls. Bridges closed out the six-point victory, hitting a key 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining. Until then, however, the wing had just eight points on 3-9 shooting in more than 29 minutes. The triple pushed him into double figures and saved the night for the Knicks.

Bridges’ juxtaposition of roles late in the game, from not playing at all to putting a dagger in Chicago’s back, represents more than just a Sunday night high. The two-way wing delivers performances that include quarters, halves or a game’s worth of disappointing play. But somehow, he often finds a way to make up for it in the end.

In each of the team’s first two games against the Boston Celtics in last year’s playoffs, Bridges beat the Knicks in the game with incredibly timely defensive play. The second of those games was a perfect example of Bridges’ extreme swings. The wing was unable to score in the first three quarters, but recorded 14 points and its game-winning defense in the fourth.

Bridges’ early-game struggles and late-game heroics on Sunday night didn’t give New York a win of playoff-level significance. But he went on to demonstrate the wingspan from zero to hero. Under a new coach in Brown, the Knicks are relying on their depth as Bridges wanted last season. Players, including Bridges, cannot afford to watch the offense of finishing games on the bench.

Their competitive nature should allow them to use any crunch-time benching as motivation. Someone like Shamet or Alvarado being red-hot from deep doesn’t necessarily mean a starter’s play was unacceptable. Sometimes the two coincide. At the end of the day, the Knicks shouldn’t worry.

Brown emphasized the importance “finding ways to win,” and will likely continue throughout the season. It’s something his group should pursue with equal fervor, no matter who’s on the pitch.