The New York Knicks may need more from Mikal Bridges as a scorer, but his primary focus will be on defense in Game 4. Or at least it should be. The Knicks need a more well-rounded offensive approach, but they also need to find answers for Stephon Castle and prepare for improvements from De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper.
Though New York defends as a team, it's Bridges who will be at the forefront of attempting to slow the Spurs' surplus of slashing scorers down.
Castle tormented the Knicks in Game 3, posting 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 8-of-14 from the field, 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-6 at the free throw line while committing just two turnovers.
Moreover, Castle scored 10 of his 23 points in the paint and shot 5-of-7 from the field when driving the lane—numbers that crushed the Knicks' momentum.
The potentially bad news for Game 4 is that both Fox and Harper were uncharacteristically inefficient during Game 3. That suggests a bounce-back performance could be on the horizon, which will again challenge New York to come up with pivotal stops against downhill scorers.
If the Knicks are going to slow the Spurs' trio of slashing scorers down, then it will be on Harper to lead the charge as the primary defender.
Mikal Bridges needs to contain Spurs' slashing scorers in NBA Finals
Bridges has spent the entirety of the 2026 NBA Playoffs chasing guards and somehow staying in front of them. That started when he faced Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum in the first round, continued against V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey in the second, and reached a boiling point against James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in the Conference Finals.
What San Antonio has, however, is an advantage in the numbers game, as they have three dynamic slashers in Castle, Fox, and Harper.
Thankfully, Bridges has done a fantastic job on the defensive end of the floor. He's forced Fox to shoot 1-of-8 from the field, Harper to go 3-of-8, and held Castle to a 2-of-8 mark. Holding the Spurs' three best guards to 6-of-24 shooting is nothing short of miraculous.
In saying that, the first half of the series doesn't necessarily guarantee anything about the second—meaning Bridges' job isn't going to be any easier moving forward.
Clearly, the Knicks need Bridges to provide more than the two points he scored on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 3. They don't necessarily need him to match the 20 points he scored during Game 2, however, as continuing to defend at an elite level buys him quite a bit of grace on offense.
If Bridges can maintain his current level of play on defense, then the Knicks will have a sincere opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead. If he sacrifices defense for scoring, however, it will be a tall task.
Add us as a preferred source on Google