The Charlotte Hornets were without LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre Jr. for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day game against the New York Knicks, but Miles Bridges picked up the slack and then some.
Bridges, 23, posted a career-best 38 points along with 12 rebounds and five assists to lead the Hornets to a 97-87 win at Madison Square Garden.
WHAT A DAY for @MilesBridges!
— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2022
career-high 38 POINTS
14-20 from the field
12 rebounds
@hornets win pic.twitter.com/I4TPqUUC75
"MLK sacrificed his life for people like me," Bridges told Ashley ShahAhmadi of Bally Sports after the game. "And for me to come into the greatest gym in the NBA and put on a performance it shows a lot. I'm happy to represent him."
Ball was questionable to play in the game with a non-COVID illness, and Oubre has been in the health and safety protocols since last Monday. Ball and Oubre are both in the top five on the team in scoring, averaging 19.4 and 16.6 points per game, respectively.
The Hornets are now 24-20 with five wins in their last six games, while the Knicks dropped to 22-22.
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