New York Knicks fans thought their worst nightmare was unfolding right before them when Jalen Brunson hurt his ankle on March 6 in Los Angeles. The season flashed before their eyes. Luckily, the star guard is expected to return before the end of the regular season.
Fans were a little afraid to watch New York without Brunson, considering he has been the offense. He's propelled the Knicks to wins with his savviness and clutch gene. The Knicks fell short against the Clippers in their first game without Brunson but responded with back-to-back wins over the Kings and Trail Blazers.
New York would've fallen short against Portland if it weren't for Mikal Bridges' game-winning three-pointer. He finished with 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting, the second-most points he's scored this season. Bridges has helped keep the Knicks afloat in Brunson's absence, averaging 23.4 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game with 63/47/95 shooting splits.
Bridges has caught a lot of flak this season for not reaching the expectations fans set for him when New York sent five first-round picks to Brooklyn. He's been through shooting slumps and rough defensive stretches, but he's come alive when the Knicks need him most.
Mikal Bridges is helping carry the Knicks without Jalen Brunson
It's not like Bridges has made dramatic changes with Brunson out, although he is getting to the free-throw line more. He's hitting his shots at a higher rate, as he previously shot 49.1% from the field and 34.9% from deep before Brunson got hurt.
Bridges has shot fewer threes the past five games and is technically averaging the same amount of field goal attempts, but that's because he's gotten to the free-throw line more, going from averaging 1.1 attempts to 4.0.
Brunson's reintroduction into the lineup will change things for the Knicks (he isn't the defender Miles McBride is), but that doesn't mean Bridges can't sustain what he's doing now, even though his defensive workload will increase. His shot attempts will dip with Brunson's return, but he's proven he can be a reliable scorer, which is what fans have wanted to see.
Nobody wanted to see Brunson get hurt, but his absence has given New York no choice but to shift its game plan. Bridges has risen to the challenge, and he has to feel more confident in his abilities after the last few games.
The Knicks can't accomplish what they want to do in the postseason without Bridges, making his recent stretch that much more encouraging. It's on him to keep it up when his good friend Jalen is cleared to play again.