The New York Knicks fans in the Big Apple are going through a lot. After all, they suffered a 109-108 defeat in Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks after a botched last play. Another 1-point loss has clearly gotten on Stephen A. Smith’s nerves. Therefore, he didn’t hold back while blasting the players and the front office after Thursday’s loss.
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“Let me tell y’all something right now, change is coming to New York City. It’s going to be another head coach in New York City,” Smith ranted on First Take. “If they lose this series, several players are going to be gone from New York City. Y’all lose, y’all go ahead and lose this game. Y’all go ahead and lose the series. New York Knicks, you just a bunch of sorry a**es right now.”
The Knicks had led in the first quarter, and from then on trailed the Hawks throughout the game before they took a lead in the fourth quarter. But that lead lasted for less than a minute as CJ McCollum once again became the New York City villain as he drained a fadeaway jumper to give the Hawks a 109-108 lead. The Knicks had 12 seconds and the ball to create a play that would win them the game, but it ended up being a turnover somehow.
“That’s right, Mike Brown. I’m saying something ’cause I love Mike Brown, but I’m very, very unhappy right now. The New York Knicks are stinking up the joint,” said Stephen A., continuing to express his frustrations.
Then he moved his focus towards Mikal Bridges. In June 2024, the New York Knicks traded for Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, sending Bojan Bogdanovic plus a massive haul. The deal included 4 unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, 1 protected 2025 first-round pick, 1 unprotected swap in 2028, and 1 second-round pick in 2025, highlighting a major long-term investment. However, the same Bridges closed Thursday night with zero points in 21 minutes.
Stephen A Smith GOES IN on the Knicks and Mikal Bridges 😳 “You bunch of sorry asses right now! I’m losing my damn mind…. Mikal Bridges, the honey moon is over dawg! — What we didn’t expect was you to give up 5 1st round picks for him.. Against the Atlanta Hawks Mikal Bridges Show more
“Mikal Bridges, Leon Rose, the honeymoon’s over, dog. The honeymoon’s over. Enough of all of this basketball purgatory,” Smith said. “Before you arrived, you were doing well, and then you messed up. And why’d you mess up? Because Jalen Brunson gave you a good thing. Because he signed a contract a year before that, saving you about $114 million, so you could go out and get his boy from Villanova with Mikal Bridges.”
He went on to dissect Bridges’ Game 3 meltdown, listing it cold: 4 turnovers, 3 shots, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 0 free throws, 0 points, 0 steals, 0 blocks. While his defensive metrics were still good as he was doing a decent job on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, his offensive numbers continued to decline.
Bridges was brought to the Knicks to help Jalen Brunson, but offensively, it still seems like Brunson has to carry the load in the fourth quarter. Sure, Anunoby had a good game, but in the long run, Bridges will have to start delivering if the Knicks want to go far in the playoffs. While the loss was disappointing for the Knicks and sees them go 2-1 down in the series, Brunson has seen some positives from the team.
Jalen Brunson’s take on the New York Knicks’ loss
Brunson has averaged 26 points for the Knicks in the series against the Hawks. However, this matchup has been about fourth-quarter execution, and that is where the franchise has fallen short. Things were a little different in Game 3 as the Hawks had the lead for the majority of the game, but the Knicks made a comeback. Brunson shared his analysis of the game in his post-game press conference.
“Being down early, them playing with the lead for most of the game, us clinging to four a couple of times. And then in the fourth, obviously taking the lead in the last minute,” JB said. “I like the way we fought back, but there’s a lot of things that go throughout the game that myself can be a bit better at, and a missed opportunity for sure.”
Jalen Brunson further showcased his leadership, and he openly criticized his own performance when reporters asked him about it. “Not good enough,” he said, stating that he has to be better at everything. Meanwhile, Brunson dropped 26 points on 11-23 shooting. However, he went 0-5 from the 3-point range. He added just 4 assists, below his usual standard. Moreover, he committed 3 turnovers, the second most on the team, only behind Mikal Bridges.
The three-time All-Star is someone who can turn things around for the franchise. While they face a lot of heat for their performances, the Knicks still have one of the best rosters and can make it all right with a win in Game 4. The Hawks will try to make it as hard as they can, but if Brunson and co. are at their best, it will be difficult to stop them.
