Before the New York Knicks’ victory over Portland on Wednesday, head coach Tom Thibodeau met with forward Mikal Bridges to address recent public comments made by both about the starters’ minutes, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Sources described the meeting as “productive.” Mike Breen of MSG Network first reported that the two men had spoken before the game.
Bridges had publicly stated on Wednesday that he believed the Knicks’ bench players should see more playing time to help ease the workload on the starters.
The 28-year-old forward mentioned that he had discussed this issue with Thibodeau, though the coach later denied having such a conversation and stood by his decisions regarding minutes distribution.
Despite the minor off-court disagreement, as noted by Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Bridges’ performance on the court has remained unaffected.
Since Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury, Bridges has stepped up, averaging 23.3 points per game on an impressive 62.8% shooting.
This includes a standout performance on Wednesday, where he scored 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting in the team’s overtime win.
Eastern Notes: Bridges, Thibs, Robinson, Grimes, Mann, Bradley https://t.co/3N6HFGfBfS pic.twitter.com/RDMHWamW5P
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 14, 2025
