New York Knicks guard Miles McBride was excellent in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers. But, in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, he has struggled to replicate that level of production.
In three out of the first four games of the series, Miles McBride had a negative plus/minus ratio. His jump shot, which was much-improved this season, was not there. He shot 10-for-33 from the field overall and 5-for-19 from 3-point range.
If he is struggling on offense, normally you can count on McBride to make an impact defensively. But, that wasn’t the case through the first four games, as the young guard wasn’t playing well in any facet of the game.
Heading into Game 5, the series was hanging in the balance. Coming off a 32-point blowout loss, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau knew something needed to change. He took a chance, turning to Miles McBride as a starter.
This was a move that we hadn’t seen much as playing two guards who barely crack 6-feet tall isn’t ideal. But New York had to give Indiana a different look and this is what Thibodeau opted to do. Just as the case has been all season, the Knicks had a player step up when it was needed most.
Miles McBride had his best game of the series, shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range. He scored 17 points with four assists, but it was defensively where he made his biggest impact.
One of the reasons the Pacers found success in Games 3 and 4 was Tyrese Haliburton got going. He was more aggressive and fed off of the energy of the crowd in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In Game 5, that production was shut down by McBride.
In fact, that has been the case all series. As shared by Tommy Beer, whenever McBride has matched up against Haliburton, his production has fallen off a cliff compared to being matched up against anyone else.
In a long series, the team that comes away victorious can find the slightest edge to take advantage of. For the New York Knicks, Miles McBride is providing that at the perfect time. Another stellar performance from him off the bench and New York could be punching a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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