In the fourth quarter of Game 2, Mikal Bridges was phenomenal. With Jalen Brunson taking a breather, Bridges scored seven straight points, which ignited a historic comeback for the Knicks. In total, Bridges scored 14 points in the quarter while shooting 60 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three. The slashing wing also added three rebounds, one assist, and a game-winning steal.
While that fourth-quarter performance was all that will be remembered, Bridges' performance through the first three quarters was horrific. Through the first three quarters, Bridges was 0-of-8 from the field, uninvolved, and unimpactful. So what changed in the fourth? The Knicks started setting picks for Bridges, running the offense through him, and letting him get in rhythm.
The Knicks' offense obviously runs through Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns is pretty clearly their second-best offensive player. But Bridges still plays an incredibly important role, and the Knicks can't have him be invisible for such long periods of the game and then hope he can keep flipping this switch.
The Celtics should play better, the Knicks will need to too
The Celtics have missed a historic number of shots through the first two games. The Knicks deserve a ton of credit for that. Their perimeter defense has been fantastic, Mitchell Robinson is switching like they have been doing it all year, and Bridges and OG Anunoby are looking like one of the best, if not the best, defensive duos in the league.
However, some of Boston's looks were open. Some of them are shots that they very well will hit in Game 3. The Knicks need to get their own offense going earlier, and part of that has to do with getting Bridges going earlier.
The Knicks need to get easier looks for Bridges
Part of helping Bridges get going earlier is to run more plays for him. Through the first three quarters of Game 2, the Knicks set only three picks for Bridges. In the fourth? They set seven.
So far against Boston, a Mikal Bridges shot is worth only about 0.7 points. For comparison, a Mikal Bridges shot against the Pistons was worth about 1.07 points. Part of increasing the organized offense for Bridges could also lead to him getting better quality looks. Bridges has also been shooting roughly two feet further from the basket than he did in round one, and taking more contested shots.
Against the Pistons, 62.3 percent of Bridges' shots were heavily contested. That number has risen to 66.2 percent against Boston. Another element is that Bridges has had to work more to get himself looks this series, with 59.2 percent of his shots being self-created, compared to 42.1 percent last series.