Portland, OR. The Knicks have had strong production off the bench all season, especially from sixth man of the year candidate Emmanuel Kwikley and the acquisition of Josh Hart last month.
Miles “Duce” McBride also made another big impact again Tuesday night, scoring a career-best 18 points 6-for-8, including four three-pointers, in 25 minutes in the Knicks’ 123-107 win over the Trailblazers. Blazers conclude a four-game West Coast road trip.
“Honestly, I knew I needed to step up,” McBride said after Tuesday’s game. “The end of a road trip, I felt like we were flat out and I just wanted to be a spark, give energy and do the best I could.”
McBride was dropped from the rotation upon Hart’s February 8 arrival from the Blazers, but has appeared in the past six games with Jalen Brunson missing all but two quarters during that distance with a bruised left foot that required the use of a protective walking boot.
McBride also made contributions at both ends in Sunday’s win over the Lakers to help stem a three-game slide, dunking a breakaway and two key three-pointers for eight points along with three steals in 17 minutes.
“It’s huge. … But honestly, if I don’t score a point and we win, I’ll still be happy. Just being able to influence the game but I can always be the first thing,” McBride said. “I think the second unit knows that when we go in, it’s our job Is just look at the result, understand what we need to do as a unit and move the needle. And I think we came and did it.”
On Sunday, Tom Thibodeau called the team’s latest play off the bench “phenomenal.”
McBride also regularly earned praise from his head coach for being ready despite uncertainty about his place in the rotation.
“He’s huge, and it’s not just about hitting the ball but on defense, and the hustle and bustle that plays,” Thibodeau said. “When you make a hustle play like that, it does nothing but unite and inspire the team. You see a hustle guy and all of a sudden, he’s got a steal; we have an easy bucket. That’s how you win.”
Bronson sat out for the third straight game and the fifth time in six games for the Knicks.
Jeremy Grant (Quadruple Contusion) never played for the Blazers.
Isaiah Hartenstein had zero points and double-digit rebounds (10) for the second straight game.
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