Mikal Bridges' jump shot and the Knicks' defense are on display in the win over the Pacers as the new-look team comes together

Maybe you were worried about it Mikal Bridges' Shooting form. He wasn't.

“I’m always confident,” Bridges said late Friday night. “Other people have to worry about that.”

No need to worry after what Bridges did against Indiana on Friday.

He finished New York's 25-point win over the Pacers with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting.

Over his last six quarters, Bridges has hit 15 of 20 shots, including four of his six triples.

Concern about Bridges' shooting began in the preseason when he went 2-for-19 from distance. They reached a new level on Tuesday when Bridges missed all four of his attempts from deep in the first half against Boston.

Bridges finished the game making 7 of 8 shots in the second half, but that didn't dispel the story that his jumper was busted.

For what it's worth, Tom Thibodeau was never worried.

“Where we are today, with everything, social media, everyone wants to have an opinion on everything, and yet the guy who does his job every day, when you watch him work, you know how much he puts into it,” Thibodeau said on Friday.

“I think if you look at it logically … and say, 'Okay, this guy has shot almost 38 percent in his career,' I would bet on that.”

The Knicks obviously bet heavily on Bridges and sent five first-round picks to the Nets for him. His play will be crucial to this Knicks season. That's probably why there was such a strong reaction to his new shooting form.

But if the last six quarters are any indication, Bridges should be fine.

He was among four Knicks to score at least 20 points against Indiana. Jalen Brunson led New York with 26 points and five assists. The Knick starters shot 68 percent from the field.

“We are all talented. We’re all trying to find the right read,” Bridges said. “Sometimes a player has the mismatch the whole game and attacks it. I don't think any of us really care. I think we just try to win and play together on both sides.”

The defense shows up

The Knick defense responded well after being torched by the Celtics on Tuesday. The Pacers missed 27 of 30 long-range attempts and Tyrese Haliburton was held scoreless.

“I thought OG (Anunoby)“The activity has been tremendous for us,” Thibodeau said. “I thought Karl(-Anthony Towns) played a really good all-round game; the communication of the big ones, Mikal getting up and fighting through screens, and then the shell is much more active. I thought all of these things were important.”

The Knicks allowed 29 three-pointers to Boston in a blowout loss on Tuesday.

KAT, Brunson build chemistry

Towns had a strong ground game on Friday. He finished the game against the Pacers with 21 points, 15 rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks.

“He has so much gravity on the ground when he’s out there. That's why people have to respect it. People have to help. He's obviously one of the best shooters in the league. He just brings another element to this team and we’re really excited to have him and we’re excited to continue to get better with him.”

Towns had this to say about playing with Brunson:

“I already knew a lot about how talented he was, like I said – you just made sure you let him do what he does best and gave him a clear path. We’re glad we can call him “Cap.”