Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges stand up!
Now is the time for the power forward and guard-small forward respectively to show why the Knicks have made steep investments in them.
With starting point guard Jalen Brunson listed as questionable yesterday morning ahead of the last night’s road game versus the Dallas Mavericks with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain and starting power forward OG Anunoby possibly out for two weeks with a left hamstring, Towns and Bridges must be force multipliers driving wins.
Brunson injured his ankle in a 124-107 defeat at Madison Square Garden on November 12 to the Magic and Anunoby hurt his hamstring last Friday at MSG — two days after Brunson went down — in a 140-132 victory over the Miami Heat.
“It’s about the next man up, and who that next man is going to be,” said Knicks head coach Mike Brown following the win. “Knowing that we’re going to have some highs and we’re going to have some lows, so staying even-keeled is going to be great, no matter who’s in uniform. Whether Jalen’s out, OG’s out, next man up, and keep playing the right way.”
Both Towns and Bridges have proven they can carry a team. Towns, after nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2022 and again in 2025.
Mikal Bridges, meanwhile, was the No. 1 offensive option for the Brooklyn Nets prior to being acquired by the New York Knicks in July 2024 for five future first-round picks. After arriving in Brooklyn from the Phoenix Suns in February 2023, he averaged 26.1 points per game over 27 games for the Nets.
Neither Towns nor Bridges seized Monday’s road game against the Heat with Brunson and Anunoby watching from the sidelines. The Knicks lost 115–113, dropping to 8–5 overall and 0–4 away from MSG heading into their matchup with the Mavericks.
Bridges was solid and efficient through the first three quarters, registering 23 points on 9-14 shooting but was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Towns had 22 points, right at his 21.8 season average, but labored from behind the three-point line, shooting 1-7. Miles “Deuce” McBride led the Knicks with 25, but not enough to mitigate the void left by Brunson and Anunoby.
The pair was averaging 43.8 points per game heading into last night with Brunson’s portion of 28 standing ninth in the NBA. In addition to Anunoby’s 15.8 ppg, he has continued to be one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league.
Miami was also shorthanded, playing without All Stars Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Adebayo was hobbled due to a toe injury and Herro has yet to play this season as he recovers from ankle surgery performed in September.
The Knicks have three more games remaining on their five-game road trip. They are in Orlando on Saturday to play the Magic, in Brooklyn on Monday to meet the Nets, and in Charlotte next Wednesday to play the Hornets.