Mikal Bridges follows through in first game after promise to ‘be better’ for Knicks

Detailed summary

Mikal Bridges repeated it eight times in a three-minute interview Friday: “Be better.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Mikal Bridges repeated it eight times in a three-minute interview Friday: “Be better.”

The floundering shooting guard took ownership of his struggles before a rejuvenating performance in Friday’s 106-104 loss to the Pacers, saying he’s the lone problem and solution.

“I just look in the mirror, I just got to be better,” said Bridges, who scored a season-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting Friday. “Nobody else to blame but me, and I just got to go out there and, whatever it is, just be better and go harder.”

Bridges was light on specifics, but his shooting numbers were ugly. Before Friday, he was at 32.9 percent from the field overall and 26.5 percent on 3-pointers — despite many of his looks being wide open.

Head coach Mike Brown responded by benching Bridges for long stretches, preferring to close games with reserve Landry Shamet.

“When times are tough, you just gotta own up to it and just be better,” Bridges said.

After Bridges played just 17 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers — the fourth time in 11 games that he’s logged 17 or fewer — Brown said it’d be “hard to find minutes” for Bridges and “even for times for Josh Hart.”

Brown reasoned that reserves Shamet and Deuce McBride are playing well.

But the Knicks also have $150 million tied up in Bridges, who said he’s not relying on flipping a switch to excellence in the playoffs like the past two seasons.

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