Knicks' Mikal Bridges Owns Slump, Earns Josh Hart Praise

Merlin sees a turning point in New York. After Mikal Bridges poured in 30 points in a 119-92 win at Toronto, teammate Josh Hart praised him for bouncing back. Bridges owned his midseason slump on TV, admitting "I wasn't playing how I was supposed to be playing, I think I wasn't coachable enough" and then shot 71.4 percent over his last two games. Hart’s strong 22-point night and their Villanova bond helped spark a timely lift for the second-place Knicks. Merlin senses that honest self-checks can change a season. When a veteran like Bridges regains touch and attitude, role players follow and defensive effort often rises. If he keeps letting "the basketball speak," New York’s four-game streak could become a real run.