The New York Knicks are in the midst of the turnaround they needed. Their win on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors was their fourth straight, following a post-Cup slump that had fans worried about everything. The highlight of the game was the Knicks' defense throughout almost the entire third quarter, but the moment that sticks with fans most may have come in Mikal Bridges' postgame interview, when he told Clyde Frazier that he hasn't been "coachable" recently, potentially due to a sense of entitlement. He seemed to reverse all of that in his 30-point performance.
Bridges' admission was a moment of truth when the Knicks needed one
Bridges' 30 points came on scorching-hot jump shooting, with the wing finishing 12-15 from the floor. He made four of his six 3-point attempts, assisted on four baskets, and finished with both a block and a steal. After the game, Frazier asked him about his 3-16 FG dud in his hometown of Philadelphia and the extent to which that impacted his performance on Wednesday.
"Not just shooting the ball, I think I just wasn't playing how I was supposed to be playing, I think I wasn't coachable enough. I don't know what it was, maybe I felt too much entitlement. But just had to kind of talk to myself a little bit about it, and just be coachable. Be the best teammate I can be, and then let the basketball speak for itself," Bridges told Frazier and play-by-play broadcaster Tyler Murray on MSG Networks.
This was a loud admission of guilt from Bridges. The Knicks seemingly decided that their embarrassment at home against the Dallas Mavericks would be their last-such loss of the season, coming out the next game and defeating the Brooklyn Nets by 54 points. They've been executing Mike Brown's system more intently, even if the early results of their recommitment were volatile.
Against the 76ers, Mitchell Robinson closed the game with Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble. At home against the Sacramento Kings, Brown made the same decision despite Towns' 17-point, 11-rebound, 4-assist performance helping them get the lead in the first place.
It was one of several decisions in recent games that demonstrate this Knicks' team's commitment to finding a way to consistently win ball games. Bridges and wing co-star OG Anunoby had phenomenal games against the Raptors, showing that a dedication to the fundamentals would come back around and pay off in the box score.
Brown has said repeatedly that he doesn't know why the Knicks got away from their principles – and, essentially, the fundamentals of his system. Bridges, speaking at least for himself, revealed why on Wednesday with his comments regarding a potential sense of entitlement.
The first three wins were much-needed for New York, but the fourth of this streak is carrying a different weight after Bridges' remarks. If the Knicks can continue to turn this into real momentum, they'll have no problem getting through all of the drama of trade season.