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Mike Brown benched Mikal Bridges in Game 3.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown explained why he benched Mikal Bridges in the second half of their Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks beat the Knicks 109-108 in a nail-biter of a game on Thursday night in Atlanta. Heading into Game 3, the best-of-seven series was tied 1-1, so the third game was a crucial one for both teams to emerge victorious from. Ultimately, it was the Hawks who got the last laugh when they were able to edge their second straight one-point win.

One of the biggest areas of concern for the Knicks during the game was the performance of Bridges, who struggled badly all night long. Playing 21 minutes, Bridges scored 0 points on 0-3 shooting and missed both of his free-throw attempts. He only added one rebound and two assists, yet turned the ball over four times and committed two fouls. He was also a game-low -26.

Brown decided to bench Bridges for most of the second half, and after the game, reporters asked him why he decided to bench the same player the Knicks traded five first-round picks for.

“I’m not concerned about him. Again, the way the game was being played, and the different runs that we made, and the different combinations that I threw out there, I just went with what I felt the game called for at the time. I’m not concerned, Mikal’s a pro, he’s been there, he’s played in hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine. But this is what the game called for, and this is what I went with,” Brown said.

New York Knicks in Tough Against Atlanta Hawks

The Knicks were the No. 3 seed entering this playoff match against the No. 6 seed Hawks, and they looked the part with an emphatic Game 1 victory. But they lost home-court advantage when the Hawks stole Game 2 on the road, and after the Hawks won Game 3, the Knicks are now down 2-1. Game 4 is also in Atlanta, giving the Hawks home-court advantage, so the Knicks are in a bit of a pickle right now. On paper, they are the better team, and they had the better regular-season record to prove it. But they aren’t playing their best basketball right now, and a potential upset could be looming.

Mike Brown Could be on the Chopping Block

After several years of underachieving in the playoffs and overusing his starters, the Knicks fired former head coach Tom Thibodeau last offseason and replaced him with Brown. The regular season was overall successful for Brown as he led the Knicks to the No. 3 seed in the surprisingly deep Eastern Conference, but if the Knicks blow this series against the Hawks, there will be calls for Brown to be replaced in the offseason. In fact, they have already begun, as the media was highly critical of Brown’s coaching in Game 3.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr does not have a contract for next season, and although he has said he would rather retire than leave Golden State, you never know what could happen if the Knicks reach out and offer him a massive contract. Billy Donovan also recently stepped down as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls and could draw interest from the Knicks if they decide to look for another head coach. For now, Brown is safe, but if the Knicks end up losing this series to the Hawks, don’t be surprised if Knicks owner James Dolan makes a move.