PORTLAND, Ore. — The Knicks have received strong production from their bench all season, especially from Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley and the acquisition last month of Josh Hart.
Second-year guard Miles “Deuce” McBride was dropped from the rotation upon Hart’s arrival on Feb. 8 from the Trail Blazers, the team the Knicks were slated to face to conclude a four-game West Coast road trip Tuesday night at Moda Center.
McBride has appeared in each of the Knicks’ past five games, however, with Jalen Brunson missing all but two quarters over that stretch with a bruised left foot that has required the use of a protective walking boot.
McBride made contributions at both ends in Sunday’s win over the Lakers to halt a three-game slide, with a breakaway dunk and two key 3-pointers for eight points and three steals in 17 minutes of action.
“It’s huge. … But, honestly, if I didn’t score a point and we win, I’d still be happy. Just being able to impact the game however I can always is the number one thing,” McBride said. “I think the second unit knows that when we get in, our job is just look at the score, understand what we have to do as a unit and move the needle. And I think we came in and did that.”
Miles McBride drives to the basket during the Knicks’ win over the Lakers.NBAE via Getty Images Indeed, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau called the team’s bench play “phenomenal.”
Isaiah Hartenstein provided 11 rebounds despite scoring no points.
Obi Toppin scored nine and Hart provided his customary statistical smorgasbord with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
“You couldn’t ask for any more,” Thibodeau said. “I thought Deuce gave us great minutes. Obi gave us great minutes. Isaiah gave us great minutes. You can’t ask for more than that. And Josh is Josh. He’s, every big play in the fourth [quarter], loose ball, rebound, hit a big 3 when the game was starting to go the other way. But that’s who he is. And we talked about it. That’s what a playmaker is.”
McBride also regularly has drawn praise from Thibodeau for staying ready despite the uncertainty over his place in the rotation.
“It’s huge, and it’s not just hitting the shots but the defense, the hustle plays,” Thibodeau said. “When you make hustle plays like that, that does nothing but unite and inspire the team. You see a guy hustle and all of a sudden, he’s got a steal; we’ve got an easy bucket. That’s how you win.”
Miles McBride shoots a jumper during the Knicks’ win over the Lakers.NBAE via Getty ImagesAdded McBride: “Honestly, it’s the trust and belief. Hearing something like that, talking to Thibs, talking to all the other coaches, they know my game. They know that I’m always gonna stay ready and bring energy, so it’s a nice mentality to have.
“Our staff does a great job of just understanding that rotation guys aren’t in it, keeping guys ready, maybe a little bit more conditioning on the side or core work, just understanding what our bodies can handle.”
Leading scorer Julius Randle added he’s “not surprised” that McBride has thrived when called upon.
“No, he’s a worker. He’s been a worker since Day 1 since he’s been here,” Randle said. “Whenever his opportunity presents itself he’s going to go out there, he’s going to compete and give his best. He’s only going to get better.”
Miles McBride looks to block Dennis Schroder’s layup during the Knicks’ win over the Lakers.Getty ImagesMcBride connected on six of his 14 3-point attempts (42.9 percent) over the previous five games, with six steals and three blocked shots at the defensive end.
“Thibs is always preaching defense,” McBride said. “He’s always putting that on the guards; that’s the challenge. We’re all gonna step up. We’re all competitors and we don’t want anybody to score.
“Really, it’s just energy and effort, just fighting over screens consistently and just catching them in a bad position.”
Starting small forward RJ Barrett usually opens the second and fourth quarters alongside the four-man second unit.
“Deuce hit some big shots, and played some great defense too,” Barrett said. “Hart was getting a lot of rebounds, he had to guard [Anthony Davis] some. Tough matchups, but everybody held their own and did what they’re supposed to do.”
“We definitely miss having Jalen on the floor, but while he’s out, we’ve got to figure it out. We’ve got to figure out how to get these wins.”
