BOSTON — Bojan Bogdanovic is getting comfortable, shoring up the offense in his minutes and cementing his place in the playoff rotation.
After struggling to start his tenure with the Knicks, Bogdanovic has scored at least 12 points in six of his last 10 games, including 14 in Thursday’s win over the Celtics.
He said confidence was never an issue after being traded by the Pistons in February, but adjusting to the new role and bench took time.
“I’ve been confident, even with a lot of ups and downs that I experienced with the Knicks,” Bogdanovic said. “I feel more comfortable in my role at the moment. A little adjustment because it’s not the same. I’ve been a starter for 10 years, but before the playoffs, I hope I start playing a lot better and maintain my level.
That’s a good sign for the Knicks, who are one win away from clinching at least third place in the East and need a boost to supplement Jalen Brunson’s minutes.
“A trade is a difficult thing to do,” OG Anunoby said. “Every day (Bogdanovic) becomes more and more comfortable in what he does.”
It’s a different story for Alec Burks, who was traded with Bogdanovic in the same package from Detroit.
Burks recorded his third consecutive healthy DNP on Thursday.
Mikal Bridges continues to flirt with the Knicks.
Brooklyn’s best player, who has to watch his former Villanova teammates make the playoffs while the Nets head into the draft lottery (without their own pick), took a lie detector test with Josh Hart in as part of a promotion with Chipotle.
Hart asked, “Would you ever want me as a teammate again,” to which Bridges enthusiastically responded, “Yes.”
This would have been a harmless comment, except Hart has been very critical of Bridges lately due to his sadness over not being able to play with the Knicks.
Hart, Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo won an NCAA championship with the Wildcats in 2016.
Despite all the hints and flirtations, it’s unlikely the Nets will consider trading bridges with their crosstown rivals. The striker is signed for the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks have two potential candidates for Most Improved Player.
Brunson, who finished third in the division last year, entered Thursday with increases in points per game (24 to 28.4) and assists (6.2 to 6.7).
But probably the most deserving is DiVincenzo, who led the East in 3-pointers. His minutes only increased by about two from last season with the Warriors, but his points increased from 9.4 per game to 15.4 and he was shooting at a better percentage.
DiVincenzo added 17 more points Thursday.
New York Post
