It was barely a month ago in the first round when Mikal Bridges scored zero points in 20 minutes during New York’s Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks–a devastating defeat that dropped the Knicks into a 2–1 hole and raised real questions about whether this group was made of the right stuff to contend for a title.
Since then, the Knicks have rattled off 10 straight wins—storming back to eliminate Atlanta in three consecutive games, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, and now taking a commanding 3–0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York is now one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and Bridges’ turnaround is one of the most notable reasons why.
The 29-year-old wing has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, dating back to the series-clinching win over Atlanta when he hit 10 of his 12 shots and finished with 24 points. Over this eight-game stretch, Bridges is averaging 19.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34.7 minutes. More importantly, he has done it with literally historic efficiency, shooting 69.1 percent from the field, 47.6 percent from three, and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
No player in the NBA has ever produced those shooting splits while averaging at least 15 points over an eight-game span.
Bridges’ efficient scoring is valuable on its own, but he is also doing it while taking on some of New York’s most difficult defensive assignments. He has had to spend time on the physically imposing Jalen Johnson of the Hawks, Philadelphia’s quick guard Tyrese Maxey, and now the craftiness of James Harden against Cleveland. That combination of offensive efficiency and defensive responsibility is what makes him so important to these Knicks.
Game 3 against Cleveland was another showcase of how potent he can be.
Bridges finished with 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks. New York controlled the game throughout, never allowing Cleveland to take the lead and going up by as much as 17 points. There were two ties, but the Cavaliers never fully seized the momentum.
That has become the story of this Knicks run. Different players keep stepping forward without forcing Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns to carry every possession. In Game 3, all five New York starters scored at least 12 points, while Landry Shamet added 14 off the bench. This is what the Knicks need if they are going to keep pushing deeper into June.
Brunson and Towns remain the headliners, but the rest of their starters in Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby are the ones who can turn New York’s championship dreams into a reality. If Bridges keeps up his two-way work, the Knicks become far more difficult to match up with.
Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go before New York can seriously think about winning its first championship since 1973. Whoever comes out of the West will be a brutal challenge, and even Cleveland still has to be finished off first. But the Knicks are beginning to feel like a team of destiny, and Bridges’ resurgence has helped make that belief feel far less unreasonable.
