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Knicks Notes: Towns, Shamet, Brunson, Game 5

May 30th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as a game-time decision due to a left knee contusion heading into the Knicks‘ Game 5 homestand against the Pacers, but that didn’t stop him from putting his best foot forward as the Knicks staved off elimination with a 111-94 victory.

“Shout out to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight,” Towns said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I’m glad I was able to. We put a lot of hours trying to get myself ready and I got a chance and God was good and I was able to go out there and play.”

Coming into the night, Towns was constantly flexing his knee in the hope that the pain would dissipate, according to SI’s Chris Mannix.

While co-star Jalen Brunson keyed the Knicks’ scoring efforts in the first quarter, Towns took over in the second, finishing the first half with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and ending the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds while playing a game-high 35.5 minutes.

With the season on the line, the Knicks knew that getting the most out of Towns’ offensive skill set was crucial to live to fight another day.

“In this series I’ve had a lot of success getting downhill, getting to the rim,” Towns said. “I can shoot the three ball but [tonight] I really wanted to get downhill and impose my will early.”

While the team knows the odds are against fighting back from a 3-1 deficit, Towns remains optimistic, thanks in large part to the mindset of the group of players assembled by president Leon Rose.

“One through 15, everyone’s doing an amazing job of wanting to win and being there for each other. This team’s special,” Towns said.

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Landry Shamet had played just 31 minutes in the 2025 playoffs prior to the Eastern Conference Finals, but has logged 36 minutes over the last three games. Despite a modest Game 5 stat line of five points, one rebound, and one steal, his contributions were invaluable, writes The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz. While generally known as a shooting specialist, the 28-year-old wing’s most important contributions were on defense, where he helped contain Pacers’ reserve T.J. McConnell and contributed to a solid team defensive effort alongside fellow seldom-played reserves Delon Wright and Precious Achiuwa. “I love New York. I love these fans. I see how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows. So it’s important to me. I just wanna give everything I’ve got to them,” Shamet said.
Brunson was the leader New York needed in Game 5, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. The Knicks’ captain always spearheads the team’s offensive attack, but following a disappointing Game 4 that saw the Clutch Player of the Year score just two points in the final period, Brunson was focused on a bigger picture approach to leadership. “[I wanted to] set a tone, for sure. It wasn’t through putting the ball in the basket. That happened, but just trying to make sure we were all on the same page and ready to go,” he said. For one game, at least, the efforts paid off, as the Knicks came out with a renewed focus defensively and an offensive game plan that showed more intentionality in how they attacked.
Speaking of intentionality and focus, in those two regards, the Knicks sent a clear message in Game 5, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. New York won in all the categories it needed to in order to steal a game and put pressure back on Indiana, including taking more shots, rebounding more, turning it over less, and dominating in the paint. The purpose and attention to detail was most evident on the defensive end, Edwards writes, with crisp rotations, big-time defensive play-making from OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, and contributions throughout the lineup. “It started at the point of attack, with Mikal (Bridges), just picking up and making things hard,” Miles McBride said after the game. “Everybody talked and communicated a lot more. I just felt like we had an edge to us tonight.”

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Payne, Game 5, Defense

May 29th, 2025 at 11:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson helped New York extend its postseason with a 111-94 Game 5 victory over Indiana on Thursday night, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.

Robinson has been starting in the stead of guard Josh Hart since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That said, Hart is still playing starter’s minutes, even as the team’s new sixth man, averaging 12 minutes per game more than Robinson.

“It’s just matchups and what’s going on in the game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of his decision to keep Robinson in the starting five. “Sometimes it’s impacted by foul trouble as well.”

Robinson logged six points, six boards, two blocks and a steal in 20 minutes of action. Beyond the statistics, Robinson’s defense against Indiana helped the Knicks build out a 20-point lead midway through the third quarter.

The 26-year-old will be on an expiring $13MM deal next season. His health has been an ongoing question mark throughout his pro career, but his defensive upside could put him in line for a raise on an extension and/or make him an intriguing asset for rival teams.

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Knicks reserve guard Cameron Payne has fallen out of New York’s rotation even as Thibodeau has built out his bench rotation to include veterans Landry Shamet and Delon Wright, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post (subscriber link). Payne had suited up for all of New York’s first 14 playoff bouts, averaging 7.2 MPG. He has now been a healthy scratch in each of the Knicks’ last three games. Payne, on an expiring veteran’s minimum contract, may be playing himself out of a future in New York.
On the brink of elimination, the Knicks now live to fight another day after shellacking Indiana in Game 5. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) supplies his report card, awarding All-Star guard Jalen Brunson an A for his 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field. “I’m just very proud of what we did,” Brunson said, per SNY.tv (Twitter link). “Now, we’ve just got to replicate it in the first quarter of next game and then continue to build on that.”
The Knicks’ aggressive defense proved critical in stopping the best efforts of the Pacers’ best player, All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton, notes Schwartz in another piece. Haliburton notched a turnover-free 32-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double in Game 4. All-Defensive swingman Mikal Bridges served as Haliburton’s primary defender in Game 5. Haliburton didn’t connect from the floor until the third quarter. The two-time All-Star shot just 2-of-8 from the floor to finish with eight points. Robinson’s versatile defense proved crucial against the Pacers all over the floor. Shamet and Wright chipped in defensively, too.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Brunson, Wright, Shamet, McBride

May 26th, 2025 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ best playoff performance since joining the Knicks came when his team needed it the most, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). New York was trailing by 10 points entering the fourth quarter on Sunday and staring at a potential 3-0 series deficit. With Jalen Brunson having an off night and being kept on the bench due to foul trouble, the Knicks needed Towns to take over the offense.

He delivered in a huge way, scoring 20 of his 24 points during the first eight minutes of the quarter. He was 6-of-9 from the field during that stretch and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also collected eight rebounds as New York gradually overtook Indiana to claim a 106-100 victory.

“Just teammates put me in great spots to succeed and I wanted to just capitalize on the opportunity,” Towns said. “And just all of us we were just doing what it takes to win and putting ourselves in position to get back in the game and put ourselves in position at the end of the game where we could find ourselves with a chance to win. Finding a way.”

It was an encouraging response after Towns was limited to 28 minutes in Game 2 while being kept on the sidelines for most of crunch time. The Pacers have been targeting him on defense throughout the series, but on Sunday Towns found a way to fight back.

“He can score on all three different levels,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s comfortable at the three-point line. He’s comfortable putting it on the floor. He’s comfortable playing back to the basket. So, as long as he stays aggressive, it’s a huge plus for us. And then the double-team comes and then he can playmake off that.”

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Brunson came out of the game after picking up his fifth foul with 7:03 remaining because Thibodeau wanted to make sure he was available to close out the victory, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. After sitting for more than five and a half minutes, Brunson returned to hit a floater in the lane with 1:17 left that gave the Knicks the lead for good. “Did you expect anything less from JB? He got that (Clutch Player of the Year) award for a reason,” Towns said. “We knew when we got in that fourth quarter, we gotta get back in the game and we felt very confident.”
Thibodeau normally sticks with set rotations, especially in the playoffs, but he made a couple out-of-character moves that sparked the Knicks’ victory, Schwartz observes in a separate story. Thibodeau changed his starting lineup, replacing Josh Hart with Mitchell Robinson, then gave early minutes to Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, who both saw their first significant action of the postseason. “High-character guys,” Thibodeau said. “Both guys have done a good job. We picked up Delon late. Landry’s been terrific all year. … He’s played really well, he’s great for the team, he’s always ready. The same can be said for Delon. They’re really, really good pros. When I say that, I mean they do the right thing every day. That goes a long way. It’s not just lip service, it’s doing the actual work, which I think is important.”
Miles McBride barely played in the first half after picking up three quick fouls, but he made an impact when he returned in the third quarter, notes Peter Botte of The New York Post. McBride scored seven straight points late in the quarter to reduce the Pacers’ lead to nine. “It’s not easy to do, particularly when you go to the bench after a minute and then you’ve gotta still stay in the game mentally,” Thibodeau said. “I thought his intensity was huge for us. He’s a catalyst, his defense, his hustle, and I think it gives people energy when you see him flying around like that.”

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Brunson, Hukporti, Rotation

April 19th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked ahead of the Knicks‘ first-round series about speculation that head coach Tom Thibodeau will be on the hot seat if New York doesn’t make a deep playoff run, star point guard Jalen Brunson referred to himself as a “big Thibs supporter” and strongly backed his coach, as Jared Schwartz of The New York Post writes.

“He means a lot,” Brunson said on Friday (Twitter video link). “Individually, he’s meant a lot to my career. I’d say he’s meant a decent amount to (Karl-Anthony Towns), coaching KAT in Minnesota and here. There’s a lot of players who can say they’ve definitely benefited from Tom Thibodeau in his career.

“But I think as a team, we’re always in a position where we can compete in the postseason since I’ve been here. He’s very prepared. He’s a very prepared individual. He’s done a lot for my career, so I’m always going to be a supporter. Always. Even when he annoys me. Always.”

Thibodeau has faced criticism over the years due a perception that he overworks his top players, and three Knicks ranked among the top six players in the NBA in minutes per game this season. But New York will enter the 2025 postseason with nearly all of its players – including everyone who’s part of the rotation – fully healthy, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes.

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Rookie center Ariel Hukporti, who has been out since February 26 while recovering from surgery on his left meniscus, was upgraded to questionable for Game 1 of the Knicks’ first-round series vs. Detroit and practiced on Friday, tweets Bondy. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), Thibodeau referred to Hukporti as a game-time decision, though it seems unlikely that he’d be part of the team’s rotation even if he’s healthy enough to play.
In a separate story for The New York Post, Bondy weighs the case for and against expanding the Knicks’ playoff rotation beyond seven players. As Bondy outlines, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson are locks to see regular minutes off the bench, but it’s unclear whether Landry Shamet, Precious Achiuwa, or Cameron Payne will get off the bench. If Thibodeau does use an eighth man, Bondy believes Shamet is the best bet for that role.
Even after the Knicks added Towns and Mikal Bridges as offensive weapons last offseason, Brunson still led the team and ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference with 26.0 points per game. The Knicks will need him more than ever in order to make a playoff run this spring, says James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Knicks Notes: Rotation, McBride, Robinson, Towns, Bridges, Brunson, Toughness

April 15th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

How low will coach Tom Thibodeau go? In this instance, we’re talking about his rotation.

Thibodeau sliced his rotation to eight players in last year’s playoffs, then cut it to seven when injuries struck. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy anticipates that Thibodeau will rely heavily on his starting unit once again in the opening-round series against Detroit.

Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson appear to be the only locks to get steady playing time off the bench. Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa are the other reserves who could be called upon but it’s likely only one will get rotation minutes, according to Bondy, who recommends that the hot-shooting Shamet should be the choice.

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It’ll be the first postseason with the Knicks for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, the front office’s two major acquisitions to become a championship-level team. The pressure will be on that duo to produce, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. “I think for me and Mikal, we just wanted to show our value to the team,” Towns said. “And I think that throughout the year, we’ve had the opportunity to do that, to our fans and our teammates and our coaching staff.”
Jalen Brunson, who returned from an ankle injury this month to play four games, says that past playoff experiences will help the club navigate this postseason, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. “I think for us, it’s, like any other season, it’s a roller coaster every year, there’s gonna be ups and downs, and it’s all about how you manage it,” Brunson said. “But now that the regular season’s over, it’s all about how we can move on and be better the next day. I know it’s a term that people don’t like to hear, but we learn from what we did in the past, good and bad, and move on and get better. That’s the name of the game at this stage of the season. … So we’re just focused. We still got a long way to go with preparation, still got a long way to go making sure we’re ready to go for Saturday. We’ll be ready.”
The talent is there but are the Knicks tough enough to make it past the physical Pistons and other potential opponents? Newsday’s Steve Popper explores that topic in a subscriber-only story.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Anunoby, Rotation, Durant

April 7th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson was rusty in his return on Sunday after missing 15 games with a badly sprained ankle, but he did enough to help the Knicks close out a win against Phoenix, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Brunson scored 15 points on the night, with seven of them coming in the final two minutes to shut down a late Suns rally.

“I could be better, could be worse,” Brunson said. “A lot of room for improvement on my end, obviously. I’m surprised about the conditioning part. I thought that would be a lot worse, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Mentally … just making sure I can trust myself in the things that I do. Everyone always talks about the physical part (of coming back from injury), but mentally, it’s about trusting your movements, the way you play and not second-guessing yourself. That was a huge adjustment, but I’m feeling a lot better.”

The Knicks now have a fully healthy rotation for the first time as they head into the final week of the season. At 50-28 and with the No. 3 seed virtually locked up, coach Tom Thibodeau wants to use that time as early preparation for the playoffs.

“As you head down the stretch, you want to check boxes,” Thibodeau said. “You want a winning record at home, winning record on the road. Fifty wins is good, and you want the highest seed possible. And then you want to be playing well. We’re going step by step. We’re not skipping over anything. This is the approach that we’ve taken all season long, so we’re not going to change now. We feel like this will help prepare us for what’s down the road.”

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Brunson’s return didn’t slow down the scoring tear that OG Anunoby has been on, Edwards adds. Anunoby shredded the Phoenix defense for 32 points while shooting 13-of-17 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range. He’s averaging 24.9 PPG over the last three weeks.
Miles McBride also returned Sunday after missing eight games with a groin injury. With Brunson back and Cameron Payne recently returning from a sprained ankle, Edwards notes that the Knicks suddenly have an abundance of guards and Thibodeau faces some difficult decisions regarding playing time. He used a nine-man rotation on Sunday, with Landry Shamet filling the final spot. Delon Wright, who filled in as a starter while Brunson and Payne were sidelined, didn’t play, nor did Precious Achiuwa, who has seen regular minutes as a backup big man for most of the season.
The Knicks should resist any temptation to trade for Suns star Kevin Durant, who is expected to be shopped this summer, advises Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscription required). Durant remains an elite scorer at age 36, but Vaccaro notes that he spurned the Knicks in free agency in 2019 and likely wouldn’t be worth the price it would take to acquire him.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Payne, Anunoby, Hart, More

April 3rd, 2025 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

Jalen Brunson, who has been out since March 6 with a sprained ankle, is with the Knicks on their current two-game road trip and is expected to participate in the team’s next practice, which could happen on Friday, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Given where Brunson is in his rehab process, it’s logical to assume he could return to action for one of the Knicks’ two games this weekend, either on Saturday in Atlanta or on Sunday back home vs. Phoenix, Bondy writes. Ian Begley of SNY.tv made a similar prediction, suggesting that he anticipates seeing Brunson play in one of those two games based on his current recovery trajectory.

The Knicks have six games left on their regular season schedule, so if Brunson is back in action for one of the next two contests, he’d have a week to get his feet back under him before the playoffs get underway. A weekend return would also put him in position to play the four games he needs to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for end-of-season award consideration.

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Brunson isn’t the only Knicks guard nearing a return from an injury. Miles McBride, who has missed seven games with a groin issue, and Cameron Payne, sidelined for the last four with a sprained ankle, are both close, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday. “Deuce and Cam should be any day,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy.
OG Anunoby is playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, averaging 23.3 points per game on .476/.394/.843 shooting with his usual lock-down defense over the past 17 games. The key for the Knicks will be to see if they can keep getting this version of Anunoby after Brunson returns, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, noting that the forward is driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line more effectively than ever. “He’s got a great mix going right now with attacking the rim, getting to the line and high-volume threes … he’s not hesitating,” Thibodeau said. “It’s really, really good basketball. And his defense is elite.”
The construction of the Knicks’ roster “fits me like a glove,” forward Josh Hart tells Bondy (subscription required), explaining that the healthy version of the starting lineup allows him to be the best version of himself. “We have three guys who can be No. 1 options (Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges). And you got OG, who can be a 2-3 option. So for me, it’s a benefit. Because I always got the worst defender,” Hart said. “And then if it’s a small guy on me, he got to worry about me crashing the boards. If it’s a big, we’re not hiding him. He’s going to be put into the action, and that allows me to kind of get into space and play my game.”
Begley checks in on where things stand with Mitchell Robinson‘s conditioning and talks to veteran wing Landry Shamet about the role he’s playing for the Knicks.
It would behoove the Knicks to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East sooner rather than later, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link), who notes that the team would benefit from getting its regulars some rest (or at least reduced minutes) in the final games of the season. New York’s magic number to clinch the No. 3 spot is down to three.

Knicks Notes: Tucker, Roster, Shamet, Wright, Robinson, Towns

April 1st, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks added P.J. Tucker on a standard two-year contract but they could still add another player to the 15-man roster within the next couple weeks, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

There’s enough wiggle room under the second apron to add another veteran free agent on a minimum deal before the end of the regular season. However, the team would need to waive a player in order to create room on the roster to sign another free agent.

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Delon Wright and Landry Shamet are getting steady minutes with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Cameron Payne on the mend. Wright, a defensive stopper, and Shamet, an offensive threat, could still play roles as the backcourt gets healthier, Andrew Crane of the New York Post writes. Wright started his third consecutive game on Tuesday against Philadelphia, while Shamet has delivered double-digit scoring off the bench in three of the last four games. Coach Tom Thibodeau appreciates Wright’s defensive prowess. “He’s got great size at his position,” Thibodeau said. “That’s his gift, is his defense, and he gets a lot of deflections.” Both players are on expiring contracts.
The return of Mitchell Robinson from ankle and foot injuries has impacted the defense, according to Begley and Robinson’s teammates. The team had the sixth-best defensive rating in March, its best ranking in any month this season. “The last month and a half, he’s been a monster defensively,” Josh Hart said. “Blowing up screens, blowing up handoffs, like a free safety on that backside.”
Robinson got a chance to start on Tuesday as Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out due to a knee injury, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Towns has appeared in 67 of 75 games.

Atlantic Notes: Shamet, Nurse, Tatum, Fernandez

March 13th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Landry Shamet dislocated his shoulder during the preseason and could have opted for season-ending surgery. The Knicks guard instead chose to rehab the injury and so far, that decision is paying dividends, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes.

Shamet was waived in October, then re-signed with the club in December. The veteran guard is currently getting steady minutes due to injuries and scored a season-high 13 points against Sacramento on Monday.

“Yeah, knock on wood. I’m in a good spot,” Shamet said. “I attacked the rehab, took it very seriously. Frankly, that’s not much of a thought I have. I feel good, I’m in a good spot.”

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Sixers head coach Nick Nurse came to dread reports from his medical staff as the team’s once-promising season disintegrated, he told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “It was really, really difficult at times,” Nurse said. “What made it most difficult is when you’d actually go on a run and think you’re making some progress, and then you get hit again (with another injury). I remember having one really good win, I can’t remember who it was against, and after the game — I always get a report from the medical team — and he came in and I was like, ‘Please just let me get to the next game, we just played really good.’ And he’s like, ‘Uh, I don’t know what to tell you.’ You kept thinking you were going to get these guys back… and guys kept going down.”
In the Celtics‘ six-point loss to the Thunder on Wednesday, Oklahoma City shot 35 free throws while the Celtics only had 12 attempts. “Yeah, it’s tough,” Jayson Tatum said Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “You’re not going to keep them off the line. They’re very intentional about that, and they have been all season. You’re not going to be the first team where they shoot five free throws or something crazy like that. But there is a balance between that and 35 free throws. Granted, some of them were fouls. Some of them we’ve got to be better at. But I’m not saying that’s why we lost or that’s the ref’s fault or anything like that. That’s how it’s going to be in the playoffs.”
Nets first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez is drawing high praise from opposing coaches as well as his current and former players. Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com examines why Fernandez has made such a strong impression.

Thibodeau Denies Having Conversation With Bridges About Starters’ Minutes

March 13th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, the NBA’s leader in total minutes played this season, said on Wednesday that he has spoken to head coach Tom Thibodeau about the idea of dialing back the starters’ minutes to some extent and leaning more on the bench. Asked later in the day about that discussion, Thibodeau denied that it happened.

“We never had a conversation about it,” Thibodeau told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby are all among the top six in the NBA in terms of minutes per game, with Hart and Bridges occupying the top two spots on that leaderboard. Jalen Brunson ranks 19th, while Karl-Anthony Towns is 24th. Thibodeau, who has faced criticism over the years for the heavy workloads he assigns his top players, defended his approach ahead of Wednesday’s game in Portland.

“The facts are the facts. When you look at our team, and the way it works, Jalen plays 35 minutes, and I think he’s 20th or 21st in average minutes played,” Thibodeau said. “(Towns), who is a primary scorer, plays less than Jalen. He’s like 25th in the league in average minutes.

“Your wings play more, right? They’re matched up with primary scorers. The way it works, if Jayson Tatum is in the game or Jaylen Brown is in the game, OG will be in the game and Mikal will be in the game. When those guys go out, (our) guys go out. When they come back, (our guys) come back. We try to keep them matched up. If you look at the league, all those guys are playing 36, 37 minutes — whether it’s Durant, Tatum, Brown. The wings are going to play more. They are primary wings defenders. That’s the way it works.”

Thibodeau also pointed out that Bridges’ minutes have come down as of late. The veteran forward played 39.3 minutes per night through his first 35 games of the season; entering Wednesday, he had averaged 35.5 MPG in his previous 21 outings. While Wednesday’s contest vs. the Trail Blazers represented the seventh time Bridges has played 40-plus minutes since February 1, five of those games went to overtime.

According to Thibodeau, his starters’ playing time will likely remain a little below where it was during the first couple months of the season because the reserves are healthier at this point, with Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet among those now playing rotation roles.

“We’ve started the season with Landry hurt and (Miles McBride) not 100 percent. So our wings did play more,” Thibodeau said. “So are they playing a little bit more than I would like? Yeah. Probably 35 or 36 (minutes), and that’s where Mikal is if you look at the last 10 games — he’s playing 35 minutes per game and four of those games are overtime games. So that’s the reality. Now that Deuce is healthy, those minutes are going to come down. So that’s the way it is.”

Although Thibodeau didn’t sound thrilled to have to revisit the discourse about his player usage, the day ended on a positive note for both him and Bridges, who scored a team-high 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting and nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime to give the Knicks a 114-113 win (Twitter video link).

“He was huge, huge,” Thibodeau said, per Edwards.