Love confident: ‘I’ll fit in when I come back’

New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges is one of the NBA’s true ironmen, often leading the league in games and minutes played. That’s why it was strange to see Bridges on the bench for most of the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth Knicks victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday afternoon.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau went with Miles McBride for most of the quarter because he felt the Knicks were “stuck in the mud” on offense. Thibodeau also referenced McBride being “fresher” and that the Knicks sixth man was “making shots”.

For his part, Bridges agreed that his coach “made the right decision”. Bridges put it on himself to make sure he’s on the floor during crunch time.

“I got to play better. I’ve been inconsistent,” Bridges said. “I’ve had some games where I’ve played good, some I haven’t. Just got to find a rhythm within the team. That’s pretty much it. Not even 20 games in, still just trying to figure it out.”