SAN ANTONIO — The final frontier awaits
What Nicks has envisioned since he was a child is finally at hand. This long-held ambition is transforming into something tangible.
OG Anunoby stands out as the sole player on his team with a championship ring, after they clinched the Eastern Conference title for the first time in 27 years. Yet, he has never stepped foot on the NBA Finals court. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson became a part of the Cavaliers in 2018, but his playoff contribution was minimal during Cleveland’s four-game sweep over Golden State.
The only notable impact on the Finals stage came from Mikal Bridges, who was part of the Suns during their 2021 Finals appearance.
The Suns entered the Finals against Milwaukee as the favorites, having won the first two games decisively. Bridges, known for his cool demeanor, felt an unusual surge of confidence about adding another championship ring—from Villanova, of course—to his collection.
Reflecting on their promising start, Bridges mentioned, “I remember we were up 2-0. I thought everything was looking good.” He spoke about this with teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on “The Roommates Show” in 2024. “In the West, every team was tough, particularly back then. But the East? Well, we thought us beating Milwaukee would be easier. I mean, sure, they have Giannis, and yes, they have some other players, but we figured, `Okay, we’re feeling confident. Let’s win this.’” That optimism was quite a ride—until they won four straight games. “It just didn’t seem real,” he recalled.
In Game 2, Bridges led with 27 points and was critical in positioning the Suns for a shot at their first title. However, in the last four games of the series, his contribution dwindled to an average of just over four shots per game, even as he shot impressively—over 53 percent overall and nearly 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Fast-forward five years, and Bridges, now 29, is leaving his mark on the Knicks’ remarkable playoff journey. Following a scoreless outing in Game 3 of the first-round against Atlanta, he emerged more aggressive, averaging nearly 19 points and effectively shutting down multiple All-Star guards defensively.
Bridges was instrumental in the Knicks achieving an unprecedented postseason winning streak of 11 games, along with the largest point differential (+19.4 per game) among teams reaching the NBA Finals.
Yet, he acknowledges that winning a title can’t be taken for granted.
“There are a lot of questions swirling around about how great we are and what we’ve accomplished,” Bridges noted. “We need to keep our focus on ourselves.”
“Reaching the Finals is great, but it’s not our ultimate goal.”
