Knicks Star Reacts to Surprising Benching

Mikal Bridges did not appear in the final 10-plus minutes of the New York Knicks' shocking loss in Utah.

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles the ball against Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

One of the New York Knicks' former Villanova Wildcats was sentenced to lengthy catnap on Saturday evening in Salt Lake City.

Nearly all of the Knicks' headliners struggled in a 121-106 defeat to the bottom-dwelling Utah Jazz but the case of Mikal Bridges was particularly glaring: the first-year Manhattanite was 3-of-15 from the field and did not take the floor for the final 10-plus minutes of action, a fate he accepted with relative grace in the somber aftermath.

"I understand it," Bridges said, per Steve Popper of Newsday. "We’re trying to win a game, and that’s all I care about, so I think that was the right decision.”

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward Mikal Bridges (25) takes a three point shot over Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Bridges' minutes were mostly eaten by Cameron Payne, who united with OG Anunoby to stand as one of the rare silver linings on an otherwise dreary night for the Knicks (9-7). Payne scored 11 points, most of it earned on a 3-of-7 rate from three-point range, while hauling in six rebounds in just over a half-hour, his longest showing as a Knick to date.

Bridges' fellow former Sun ended the night as one of two Knicks with a positive plus/minus, the other being his fellow reserve Jericho Sims.

"Cam came in and he was playing well. He was part of that team that was making that run," Bridges noted in Popper's report. "So I was more just frustrated that I couldn’t be out there to help the team and frustrated that the first three quarters I was out there, I couldn’t really do much."

There's no use in overanalyzing the November portions of Bridges' first tours as a Knick, but he's been a bit of an MVP ... for better and worse.

The hullabaloo over Bridges' adjusted shot has mostly died down but the Knicks' fortunes appear to rise and fall based on his success from the outside: the Knicks are 4-0 when he hits at least 40 percent of his tires with an extra point on the line and 5-7 otherwise. Bridges was 1-for-7 in the category on Saturday.

While debate around its value will continue to rage on, Bridges' plus/minus also continues to stand as a metropolitan barometer: he was but a minus-1 on Saturday but the Knicks fell to 0-6 when he's in the red.

New York obviously lost as a team on Saturday ... Bridges alone can't be blamed for going 17-of-51 from deep and yet another defensive no-show ... but there's no doubt a little extra pressure on him to perform no matter what the calendar says considering the sizable investment the Knicks made into his future.

Bridges has a chance for redemption on Mondy when the Knicks continue their ongoing road trip in Denver (9 p.m. ET, MSG2).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Knicks Out of Tune vs. Jazz
• Williamson's CAA Divorce Linked to Knicks
• Hukporti's Surprising Mentor
• Liberty Year In Review: Nyara Sabally
• Knicks Past Need For Donte DiVincenzo