Mikal Bridges is pulling the Knicks with him toward rock bottom

ATLANTA — I’ll take the layup Mikal Bridges refuses to attempt. It’s the easy column, the drive and swish after the equivalent of a handful of draft picks is benched.

Bridges started Thursday’s 109-108 Game 3 defeat at the hands of the Hawks. He took a few shots. Bricked them. Lost all confidence. And poof … Bridges disappeared faster than five first-round picks.

James Dolan, sitting courtside at State Farm Arena, must’ve been wondering of Leon Rose, “Is this why you were stashing all that draft capital.” Or, maybe, “This is who we still owe $150 million?”

Bridges, after all, was a wreck. He appeared as if bereft of confidence, devoid of ability to perform offensively. He finished with no points, four turnovers and the decisiveness of a deer in headlights. The Knicks were outscored by 26 points in Bridges’ 21 minutes.