Knicks’ Mikal Bridges breaks out with huge Game 6 performance in historic rout of Hawks

ATLANTA — Mikal Bridges’ stat line in his Knicks’ historic Game 6 beatdown of the Atlanta Hawks would stand out regardless of context.

The veteran forward scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists and a block in 27 minutes in the Knicks’ 140-89 win at State Farm Arena.

But Bridges’ prolific production was even more notable considering the quiet games he endured before Thursday night’s series-clinching victory.

“He just did what he’s capable of doing,” head coach Mike Brown said. “Is he gonna go 10-for-12 every night? No. But he was aggressive. Took great shots. I wouldn’t let it go unnoticed that his defense was phenomenal.”

Bridges averaged 7.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game over the first five games of the first-round playoff series, including a scoreless Game 3.

In Games 3 and 4, Bridges totaled only nine second-half minutes, with Brown rolling with Miles “Deuce” McBride down the stretch on both nights.

But Bridges was a driving force in Thursday’s victory, scoring eight points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first quarter alone to help the Knicks jump out to a 40-15 lead.

In the second quarter, Bridges found Mitchell Robinson for an emphatic alley-oop dunk.

And later in the period, Bridges was on the receiving end of a lob, finishing a highlight-worthy dunk off of a long pass from Jalen Brunson.

“I feel like I’m always confident,” Bridges said. “Just happy to go out there and get the win.”

Bridges, 29, just completed his second season with the Knicks, averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while appearing in every game — just as he has in each of his eight NBA seasons.

Perhaps unfairly, Bridges’ name is often attached to the five first-round picks that the Knicks traded to the Nets to acquire him.

Amid the first-round adversity, Brown did not make any changes to the Knicks’ starting lineup, opting to stick with the group that helped win 53 games in the regular season.