Miles McBride showed 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 victory.
McBride, who averaged 8.3 points per game during the regular season , also did more than just score. He was an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and added four assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes. McBride also led both teams in +/- with 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 at the same time the Knicks traded 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. Before the postseason, the biggest game of McBride’s NBA career came when he outclassed Steph Curry in a decisive March victory over the Golden State Warriors, outscoring the NBA legend 29-27.
In keeping with the theme of McBride’s biggest opportunities of the season, his 28 minutes against Philadelphia were more than the 21 minutes of total time in his eighth previous postseason appearances combined.