The match between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden was much-ballyhooed because of the Christmas Day debut of Victor Wembanyama, but Mikal Bridges stole the spotlight and played the role of the Grinch to perfection.
Bridges scored 41 points on 17-of-25 field goal shooting, including six three-pointers, to lead New York to a gutsy 117-114 win. This marked the second highest point total for a Knick on Christmas Day, behind only Bernard King’s 60-point performance in 1984. The 6’6 guard also had a rebound, four assists, two steals, two blocks, and zero turnovers to complement his strong shooting night.
This season-high scoring performance of Bridges helped New York outlast Wembanyama who was clearly motivated to put on a show on this special day. San Antonio’s 7’3 center became just the third player to score at least 40 points on his Christmas Day debut, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Tracy McGrady. Wembanyama finished the night with an outstanding line of 42 points, six three-pointers, 18 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and four blocks.
The Knicks banked on Bridges down the stretch to put away the Spurs as he hit back-to-back midrange jumpers to extend their lead to five, 116-111, with 1:18 left in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart split two free throws on New York’s ensuing possession to increase their lead to six, 117-111.
However, Chris Paul refused to give up and responded with a three-pointer to cut the deficit that they faced back down to three, 117-114. Hart then redeemed himself on the other end, collecting two crucial offensive rebounds that allowed the Knicks to have a 42-second final possession to close the game.
For the 28-year-old Bridges, this marked his breakout scoring game in a New York uniform as he continues to overcome his slow start with his new team. December has been the best month of the season for both Bridges and the Knicks by far, highlighting his importance to this team’s success. Bridges is averaging 22.7 points on 57.7% field goal shooting, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 11 December games where New York has gone 9-2.
This is exactly what was expected to happen when the Knicks acquired Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason and if they can keep this up, contending for the NBA championship this season will be more than just a pipe dream for this franchise for the first time in years.
