The Knicks’ regular-season finale against the Hornets is, in competitive terms, almost beside the point. New York has already locked up the No. 3 seed, and with the playoffs looming, the priority has clearly shifted to preservation. That is why Sunday’s availability report is so striking: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns are all expected to sit, leaving Mikal Bridges as the only usual starter available. The reason is straightforward, Bridges is expected to start so he can keep his consecutive-games streak alive.
That gives the scene a slightly funny, slightly absurd, and very modern NBA quality. In an era defined by load management, injury caution, and playoff triage, Bridges has become one of the league’s last true durability obsessives. He is not starting because New York needs its full lineup in a must-win game. He is starting because the streak matters, and because for Bridges, availability has become part of his identity – his run currently is at 633 straight games entering Sunday.
The funny part is that the Knicks have already shown they know exactly how to handle this kind of situation. In last season’s finale, Bridges checked in, committed a foul after six seconds, and checked right back out, preserving his ironman streak without exposing himself to any real wear before the playoffs.
