Knicks Notes: Mikal Bridges, bench, Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek

Knicks wing Mikal Bridges has drawn attention for his recent offensive struggles, but teammates say his role is a factor, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

“Last year, he didn’t have many plays called for him. This year, he probably has even less,” Josh Hart said. “He gets some unfair flak just because he’s doing what’s asked of him.”

Head coach Mike Brown echoed that sentiment.

“He works at it very hard. And he cares at a high level,” Brown said. “Usually when you have that combination … it tends to lead to good results.”

Bench Bunch

New York enters Tuesday on a six-game winning streak, though Bondy notes the competition has been relatively soft. With tougher matchups ahead — including the Thunder and Rockets — the upcoming stretch could impact playoff seeding and home-court advantage.

The bench remains a key question.

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic notes, the Knicks ranked 27th in bench minutes entering Sunday, despite Brown leaning on reserves more than his predecessor. The team hopes Mitchell Robinson stays healthy under a managed workload, while Miles McBride will need to regain rhythm quickly upon returning.

Clarkson Corner

Jordan Clarkson has provided a boost lately.

After a rocky stretch, Clarkson has averaged 12.7 points on efficient shooting over the past two weeks, including a 27-point outing against Utah.

“When he’s doing that … there’s not many players in the NBA coming off the bench you feel better about,” Karl-Anthony Towns said.

Kolek’s Night

Rookie guard Tyler Kolek also had a notable showing Sunday, scoring 42 points in the G League before adding 11 points in the fourth quarter of New York’s win over Washington.

“That’s just who he is,” Jalen Brunson said.