Mikal Bridges breaks out of offensive slump to help Knicks win Game 6 vs. Hawks
One of the biggest contributors in the Knicks' series-clinching Game 6 win on Thursday night was Mikal Bridges who finally broke out of an offensive slump and finished with 24 points.
The Knicks did what they were supposed to do -- get past the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. In that sense, Thursday's rout of the Hawks in Game 6 at State Farm Arena to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals shouldn't be all that impressive. However, after falling behind 2-1 in the series and things looking a little scary, New York stormed back to win three straight, all by double-digit margins, with Thursday's victory being the most memorable (and lopsided).
Leading 40-15 after the first quarter and 83-36 at halftime -- the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history -- the Knicks got contributions up and down the roster. One of those contributors was Mikal Bridges, who finally broke out of an offensive slump and finished with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and a block in 27 minutes. It was the most points Bridges scored during the series.
He entered the game averaging 7. 2 points per game in the series after averaging 14. 4 points per game in the regular season, which was already his lowest scoring output since 2021-22.
In fact, his 12 shot attempts in Game 6 were just one less than his previous three games combined. "Just doing whatever it takes to win," he said. "That’s pretty much it.