Knicks' Mikal Bridges scoreless in foul-plagued loss to Lakers

Bridges picked up four fouls in the first half, limiting his playing time in the 110-97 defeat.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Knicks forward Mikal Bridges struggled mightily in his team's loss to the Lakers on Sunday, going scoreless and plagued by foul trouble throughout the game. Bridges picked up four fouls in the first half and was benched for most of the third quarter, finishing the night 0-for-6 from the field.

Why it matters

Bridges is a key player for the Knicks, and his inability to stay on the court due to foul trouble was a major factor in the team's defeat. The Knicks will need Bridges to bounce back quickly as they face the Clippers the next day in a back-to-back.

The details

Bridges picked up his first foul just 15 seconds into the game, setting the tone for his frustrating night. He was benched for the entire fourth quarter as the Knicks coach opted to go with other players. The team as a whole struggled with foul trouble, with Josh Hart also picking up four personals in just 22 minutes.

  • Bridges picked up his first foul 15 seconds after tipoff.
  • Bridges picked up his fourth foul about 1 1/2 minutes into the second half and was benched for the remainder of the third quarter.

The players

Mikal Bridges

A key forward for the Knicks who struggled with foul trouble and went scoreless in the loss to the Lakers.

Mike Brown

The Knicks head coach who criticized his team's lazy defending as the driver of their foul problems.

Josh Hart

A Knicks player who also struggled with foul trouble, picking up four personals in just 22 minutes.

Austin Reaves

A Lakers player who drew an early foul from Bridges, setting the tone for his night.

Luka Doncic

The Lakers star who finished with 35 points and attempted a game-high 10 free throws.

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What they’re saying

“Just not being out there. I think that's the biggest thing. Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win. I've got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from 3.”

— Mikal Bridges, Knicks player

“We got beat off the dribble often. We got beat to the middle. And being lazy about it we reached at the last second and sent them to the free-throw line.”

— Mike Brown, Knicks head coach

“Yeah, it's tough. Especially some of the fouls that they called they cause you — your physicality is not there and it's tough, you're not able to play the way you want to play. You get taken out and you don't have the flow of the game. Obviously that's a frustrating thing. You've got to figure out and not put them on the free-throw line. It's tough.”

— Josh Hart, Knicks player

What’s next

The Knicks will look to bounce back quickly as they face the Clippers the next day in a back-to-back.

The takeaway

Mikal Bridges' foul trouble was a major factor in the Knicks' loss to the Lakers, highlighting the team's struggles with defending without fouling. The Knicks will need Bridges to stay on the court if they hope to get back on track against the Clippers.