Because the Knicks coach shot down the private discussion that happened with Bridges, Smith would take the star's side, saying the incident is a “bad sign” for the team. In the win over the Trail Blazers, Bridges finished with 33 points in 41 minutes.

Stephen A. Smith tore into Tom Thibodeau after the Knicks coach denied having a conversation with Mikal Bridges about the minutes situation for the team's starters.

Mikal Bridges played 41 minutes Wednesday night in Portland, and he wouldn't want to give one of those seconds back because he did this during the final play of the game. Still, 41 minutes is a lot, and it's not just this game.