Miles McBride showed on Saturday night why the Knicks’ decision to lock him up is already paying off. He stepped up in the opening game of New York’s first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 21 points off the bench and helping the Knicks secure a 111-104 win.
McBride, who averaged 8.3 points per game during the regular season, did more than just score, too. He was an efficient 7-for-12 from the field and added four assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes. McBride also led both teams in +/- as a +37.
In December, McBride signed a $13 million extension with the Knicks, keeping the fan favorite in New York for three more years. The 23-year-old guard’s deal came around the same time the Knicks traded away RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors, which allowed the WVU product to earn more minutes in the rotation.
And Saturday’s playoff game is just another example of McBride taking the opportunity and running with it. Prior to the postseason, the biggest game of McBride’s NBA career came when he out-shined Steph Curry in a pivotal March victory over the Golden State Warriors, outscoring the NBA legend 29-to-27.
In keeping with the increased opportunity theme of McBride’s season, his 28 minutes against Philadelphia were more than the 21 minutes of total time from his eighth previous postseason appearances combined.
It’s safe to say the Knicks are better when McBride is afforded a chance to put his skills on display. It’s also becoming clear that McBride, a player once viewed as just a nice piece and someone who could provide a nice spark off the bench, is actually a force to be reckoned.
McBride’s game one performance earned him the honor of being the player New York decided to spotlight on social media after the game.
New York now leads their first round series with the 76ers 1-0, with game two set for 7:30 pm ET on Monday night. The game will be televised on TNT so a national audience can become even more familiar with McBride.
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