Mikal Bridges has completely flipped the script on his Knicks season

NEW ORLEANS — There were already a few low moments for Mikal Bridges in his Knicks career.He could barely hit a 3-pointer in preseason, for instance.

His revamped shooting form was awkward, mocked and involved a hitch.Nerves were speculated as the cause.

Or worse, the yips. But the bottom probably was Nov.29 in Charlotte.

Amid his worst performance yet, Bridges was benched in the fourth quarter of a close victory.Critiques over his trade cost — five first-round picks! — grew louder Quietly and briefly in the locker room that evening, Bridges acknowledged to The Post, “I got to play better.” And he immediately did. Since that ugly night in Charlotte, Bridges is leading the Knicks in total points while shooting 58 percent overall and 43.1 percent on 3s.

His net rating during this eight-game stretch is a plus-21, the best on the team.  Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Meanwhile, no player in the NBA has logged more minutes or traveled more miles on the court than Bridges this season.

He absorbed an early onslaught of criticism and, at least through the first three weeks of December, flipped it around. “Once he started making shots, nobody said nothing [about his revamped shooting form].Nobody is talking about how it looks now,” Cam Payne said.

“So he just be locked in, man.He’s pretty good with stuff like that man.

I actually applaud him for it.Because you could easily get distracted with that or get messed up in the head with it.” A lot has been made of the Villanova connection but it became clear early that Bridges’ best locker-room companion was Payne. No matter the city, their stalls are side by side.

They dance together during warm-ups and celebrations.They bante...