Jalen Brunson had 31 points and made two clutch free throws with 8.6 seconds left, and the New York Knicks held on to beat the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets 99-98 to improve to 3-0 in NBA Cup play.

The Knicks should’ve had a great deal on Black Friday. Instead, they paid full retail price for a 99-98 victory over the Hornets.

CHARLOTTE — Mikal Bridges found himself on the Knicks' bench for nearly the entire stretch run of the game Friday, watching as his teammates pushed ahead against the Hornets. And, just as he said in Utah when he sat down the stretch, he had no argument with the decision.

The struggles for Mikal Bridges have gotten to the point that New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau kept him on the bench for the final eight minutes

The Knicks should’ve had a great deal on Black Friday against a battered, bottom-dwelling opponent. Instead, they paid full retail price for a 99-98 victory, a performance that required a fourth-quarter comeback as the team’s top disappointment Mikal Bridges watched most of it from the bench.

The New York Knicks made a bold move when they traded for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets this offseason for a heap of future first-round draft picks. Bridges was seen as a savior for the Knicks and as someone who could finally get them over the hump.