Mikal Bridges watched the celebration unfold outside Madison Square Garden. It made him wonder, why not him? Just moments after the Knicks secured their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night, he witnessed the excitement from a distance.
“Josh [Hart] said it’s crazy, but it’s great for them. I’m new here, but it feels awesome. I know how passionate New Yorkers are about their sports, especially the Knicks. They’re celebrating for us now, but we’ve still got more to accomplish,” Bridges shared.
Bridges played a significant role in giving Knicks fans a reason to cheer. After a tough Game 5, he bounced back impressively in the second round against the Celtics, averaging 14.7 points over six games and coming through in crucial moments. He tallied 34 points in the fourth quarter alone, shooting 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
Not only did he shine on offense, but Bridges also made key defensive plays—stealing the ball from Jalen Brown to secure Game 1 and intercepting a pass from Jason Tatum in Game 2. As the playoffs progressed, he grew increasingly aggressive on both ends of the court.
In the second round, he attempted 91 shots, a noticeable uptick from the 84 he took in the first round against the Pistons. While teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby struggled for much of the series, Bridges stepped up to help carry some of the scoring weight.
After the Knicks faced elimination by the Pacers last year, they made a significant trade to acquire Bridges, looking to elevate their status as contenders.
He’s clearly making a difference, but challenges remain ahead. The Knicks will need this level of performance consistently to advance further, which they haven’t always shown during the regular season.
“We need to keep pushing,” Bridges said. “We’re not done yet. We went out there [Friday night] and gave it our all, but there’s still work to do. We’ve got a game on Wednesday against a completely different team, and it’ll be a whole new series.”
