Mikal Bridges, acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Nets in the offseason, played a huge role in the Knicks’ second-round series triumph over the Celtics. He averaged 14.7 points, including 34 total points in fourth quarters, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes.
He also made enormous defensive stops, stealing the ball away from Jaylen Brown to end Game 1 and intercepting a Jayson Tatum pass to end Game 2. Bridges is thirsting for more as the Knicks enter the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers.
“There’s more to go,” Bridges said. “We’re not done. That’s what it is. We came out there [Friday night] to play hard and handle business, but our season’s not over. We’ve got so much more to go and we play on Wednesday, so get ready to prepare for them. Whole different team and a whole new series.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- They, of course, will be looking to avenge their second-round series loss to the Pacers last season, in which they blew a 2-0 lead in the process. However, the Knicks were riddled with injuries by that point. In contrast, New York has all its pieces entering this series, Schwartz points out. Pace and 3-point shooting will also be key components to the series.
- How did the Knicks turn into a contender? Post columnist Mike Vaccaro takes a closer look at how they were built, starting with the hires of Leon Rose as GM and Tom Thibodeau as head coach. From a roster standpoint, their zeal to sign Jalen Brunson in free agency in 2022 proved to be the pivotal decision.
- Fiery, hard-nosed wing Josh Hart has become a huge fan favorite and his popularity continues to grow, Vaccaro notes. The picture of Hart with a defiant look on his bloodied face after he caught an errant elbow epitomizes the toughness and grit of the team.