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Knicks' Josh Hart Supports Mikal Bridges Amidst Struggles

Josh Hart is not worried about Mikal Bridges' struggles after the New York Knicks' win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Jed Katz

Nov 20, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) and forward Mikal Bridges (25) greet each other before playing against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) and forward Mikal Bridges (25) greet each other before playing against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Hornets on the road, 99-98, on Friday afternoon. The game was much closer than Knicks fans would have liked it to be, but New York came away with a win and is now 11-8 on the season.

A big story in the Knicks' struggles has been forward Mikal Bridges. Bridges was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason for a heap of draft picks, and while there was optimism that the haul would pay off, New York hasn't gotten the production it wants out of the veteran forward.

Bridges put up eight points on 3-of-10 shooting against the Hornets and did not play from the 8:25 mark in the fourth quarter until there were 13.0 seconds left in the game. This is not a new occurrence for him this season, as he was also benched for nearly the entire fourth quarter in a loss to the Utah Jazz last week.

Knicks guard Josh Hart offered encouraging comments amid Bridges' struggles following the win in Charlotte. The former teammate of Bridges at Villanova is not worried early in the season.

"I know he's not worried about it," Hart said. "I'm not worried about him. The media and people are killing him. He's in a new situation... what, 18 games?

"If we win a championship ain't nobody give a damn how many picks we gave up. We can give up 15 picks, it don't matter. At the end of the day we're trying to win a championship. He's gonna be a key piece of that, and we need to continue to build him up."

Hart also mentioned Bridges' level of championship experience, having been to the NBA Finals in 2021 with the Phoenix Suns. He and the Knicks believe in Bridges' pedigree and potential with this new group.

The goal for New York is to win a championship with such a talented roster. Bridges was acquired to elevate both sides of the ball, and when he's playing good basketball, the Knicks are a scary team. Like Hart said, it doesn't matter how many picks New York gave up. The goal is to win a championship.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

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