Mikal Bridges came away with the game-sealing steal against the Celtics on Wednesday. And in Game 1 on Monday, his late three-pointer helped the Knicks secure victory in overtime. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes that while Bridges’ tenure in New York started off on the wrong foot, no one is thinking about the draft picks the Knicks gave up to acquire the defensive-minded wing with the Celtics on the ropes.
“Get your damn apology forms out,” teammate Josh Hart said. “I’ll be collecting them next game.”
As Edwards writes, Bridges’ performance reflects his ability to overcome adversity.
“Going back to our days in college, the way we practiced and prepared for games, it was more mental than anything,” Bridges’ Villanova and Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson said. “Then, when you get to the game situations, you’ve practiced it and been prepared for it. When you do that at a young age and have that in your repertoire going into a professional career, you have that in your back pocket. He has the ability to block out the noise.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- Mitchell Robinson proved to be a major force for the Knicks in their Game 2 win, Zach Braziller of the New York Post observes. The Knicks outscored the Celtics by 19 points with Robinson on the court and he recorded six points, eight rebounds and three steals in the win.
- Brunson opened Game 2 on a rough note, shooting just 23.1% from the field through three quarters. However, in crunch time, the 2024/25 Clutch Player of the Year showed up, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes. He wound up scoring nine points in the fourth quarter to help lift New York over Boston. “That’s Jalen,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the game, he’s going to be at his best when his best is needed.”
- Add Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart to the list of players who stood out when their numbers were called, Schwartz and the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy write in separate stories. “KAT, the way he started off the game was great for us,” Brunson said. “The way he’s been throughout the entire season, he’s been one of the best teammates we have. The way he gives us energy and the way he goes and gets rebounds and what he does, it doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s just the way he’s been.“
I mean Bridges didn’t have a great season. He deserved most of the criticism. Glad he is having playoff success but not really an I told you so. This was the expectation all along.
Towns and Bridges are new to the team this year. So expectations vary depending on your knowledge of the game and Knicks. Yes the season was short of expectations. Unfortunately never fixing the bench added to those failed expectations. Where Bridges needed to bring more offense. Towns had to be better on defense. I’d say both fell short on that.
Great thing about team building. When it isn’t a finished product. You still have a chance and time. To try and fulfill those missed opportunities. The playoffs are here. And both are playing a major part in team success. I go back a long time as a true Knick fan. I can assure you building in NY is not easy to do. No one has the patience for it. So it never gets done right. Thibs is a life long Knick fan. His dad raised him to be one. So he knows exactly where he is. It’s why I have always supported his vision to see this thru.
We know Knicks are fortunate to be here. Well they have earned the right to do this. Injuries happen every year. You just have to stear your way thru it. Knicks have a great opportunity to get out of East. I know they aren’t going to blow it. Thibs and this team have been thru it all. And here we are 2 up on Celtics. And possibly the Pacers waiting. Two more wins first. Both Bridges and Towns have a great opportunity now. To show up in MSG and be serenaded with the respect they deserve. NYK
“In Thibs we Trust”
Bridges has been the same player in the playoffs that he was during the regular season. All year he was a defensive playmaker, and, on offense, he’s made some big shots. Any angst about Bridges is about his PPG and his 3 pt shooting. Those were the issues in the regular season, and they’ve continued in the playoffs.
I’ll defend Bridges on the PPG criticism, since he’s sharing the 3rd offensive option slot (with OG), and he’s doing it on a team where the top 2 options average mid-20’s and need some time with the ball. Bridges’ offensive game hasn’t changed, just opportunities. But the 3 pt shooting (regular season and playoffs) was and is troublesome. He’s having his worse 3 pt shooting season since his rookie season. It appears he’s lost some confidence in the shot (particularly if its not a corner 3). It’s not impacted his mid-range shot, which remains excellent. But he should really spend the offseason looking at his 3 point shot. The 3 pt shot is more important in his role here than it was with BKN where he was getting a high volume of shots. If he was shooting his normal 3 pt percentage and normal FT line (also down), I doubt many NYK fans would be disappointed in his season.
You are right Bridges has been the man on D. Consistent all year. In this series he has stepped up and been clutch both ways. My biggest criticism of him. I want him to be more selfish on O. Too many times he gives up ball too soon. Like to see him attack more. Like he did in 2nd half of last game.
There are clearly FO’s out there that believe similarly, namely that he could succeed in a higher volume role (its one reason the trade price for him was so high).
Personally, I don’t know. His jump shot is beautiful (too good actually), and he can get it off in tight spaces. But his handle is average and while he’s sturdy strong, he’s not powerful. I think it might be moot because it might be more about mindset than skill set. Volume-wise, right now, he’s about where he figured to be on the NYK shot chart: third, at 14.4 shots a game. Brunson is at 18.5, Towns, 17, and OG right under 14. The most shots Bridges has taken in his career was with BKN (18.6 in his initial half season, and 15.8 last year). He had an unlimited green light there, and still never really used it to explore the outer boundaries of his own game. Things could change, but if he concluded that this season wasn’t the time, I wouldn’t argue with him.