Knicks Bench All But One Starter for Season Finale

The New York Knicks are playing it safe for their regular season finale against the Brooklyn Nets.

Nov 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) looks to pass the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks will in fact engage in a lazy Sunday.

Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks will rest four of their five starters for their mostly meaningless regular season finale against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Sunday. Head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed that OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns will all sit, as will primary backup Mitchell Robinson.

New York (50-31) is locked into the third seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and cannot move up or down. Several of the starters, however, hinted at interest in playing in Sunday's game to win back some momentum lost in an active three-game losing streak, which includes a 108-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

The lone regular starter to take the floor for the Knicks will be Mikal Bridges, who will keep his perfect attendance mark on NBA hardwood alive. Bridges has yet to miss a game in his Association career, as Sunday will mark his 556th consecutive appearance.

Thibodeau said that Bridges will play legitimate minutes in Sunday's game, a stark contrast to his final game with the Nets in 2022-23, when Bridges took the floor for four seconds to keep the streak alive.

"I think he's earned that right," Thibodeau said of Bridges in video from SNY. "It's a tribute to him. I think he has worked hard to put himself in that position. I've said this before, he should be commended for it."

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!