The streak lives on — although on this present day, Mikal Bridges couldn’t wait to get off the ground.
Not even seven seconds after the ball tipped at Barclays Heart within the season finale between Bridges’ former group (the Nets) and his present one (the Knicks), New York’s wing — the one Knicks starter on the ground on Sunday — dedicated an intentional foul.
Bridges instantly grabbed Brooklyn’s Tyrese Martin. Then he pointed at Miles McBride and grinned from cheek-to-cheek as he jogged previous head coach Tom Thibodeau and went to the bench.
“I guess [Thibs] was okay with us being aggressive, pressuring the ball,” Bridges joked after the sport.
Bridges logged six seconds and recorded no different stats however his one private foul. In doing so, he continued his streak of consecutive video games performed with out a miss.
Bridges has performed each sport of his NBA profession — 82 with the Knicks, 109 with the Nets, and 355 with the Phoenix Suns. He didn’t miss a sport throughout any of his three years at Villanova, both.
“Just trying to be available. Just for my team – trying to win as many games as possible and be out there for my team,” he stated. “And I think we have a better chance [if I’m on the floor]. So just be out there as much as possible.”
However what’s the key? Bridges was tight-lipped and didn’t go into a lot element when requested for the elements to his secret sauce.
“I think it’s just a lot of everything,” he stated. “The lifts and the treatment and stuff like that. Put in a lot. Just try to stick to what works.”
Bridges stated the group requested whether or not or not he wished to play in Sunday’s season finale given Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Cities, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson all sat towards the Nets.
He stated he opted towards staying on the ground any longer than wanted as a way to give his youthful teammates extra expertise in an NBA sport.
“I could play a quarter, play a half. But that would take away from young guys – Pac [Pacome Dadiet] and Kev [Kevin McCullar Jr]. For their minutes to come up there. Landry [Shamet] coming out there, playing more. So it’s more just taking minutes away from them versus – I took a lot of minutes all 81 [games] prior, so just give them guys a chance, give them a chance to play and play the right way.”
Bridges joined an inventory of 14 gamers who’ve appeared in all 82 video games this season. On that listing, former perennial All-Star Chris Paul (39) is the oldest.
Bridges would wish to play 11 extra seasons, then play in each sport, to tie Paul because the oldest participant to ever document an ideal NBA attendance document.
Is he as much as the problem?
“I don’t know. That’s why CP is one of the greatest,” stated Bridges. “But I don’t think I’ll make it that long.”
SCOUTING THE ROOKS
The Knicks chosen Pacome Dadiet with the twenty fifth general choose within the 2024 NBA Draft, however the rookie spent a lot of the season on G-League task with the Westchester Knicks. In 11 early minutes towards the Nets on Sunday, Dadiet shot one-of-three from the sphere for 4 factors and have become a frequent goal for a Nets offense that scored at will with the rookie guarding the ball.
Kevin McCullar Jr., however, noticed 22 minutes of motion within the season finale. McCullar, who the Knicks chosen 56th in final yr’s draft, logged eight rebounds, 4 factors, two assists, a steal and a block. The Knicks outscored the Nets by 15 in his minutes on the ground.
“The starters were out, good opportunity to give the bench guys extended minutes and to get a look at [the young guys],” stated Thibodeau. “I thought McCullar was fantastic in the second half. He was huge.”
