It has been an up-and-down first year in New York for Mikal Bridges and an up-and-down first-round series. Bridges has been heavily scrutinized all season, after the Knicks traded a king's ransom of first-round picks to acquire him from the Brooklyn Nets.
In many ways, Bridges hasn't lived up to the expectations fans had when they acquired him. He scored 17.6 points per game while shooting 35.4 percent from three. It was his lowest 3-point percentage than his rookie year. On the defensive end, his point-of-attack defense often didn't live up to the hype.
However, in the Knicks' biggest game of the year, Bridges showed up in a big way, dropping 26 points in Game 6, a series-high for him, shooting 11-of-16 from the field, and adding four rebounds and three assists. He was the perfect complementary player next to Jalen Brunson, who was his normal superstar self, scoring 40 points, including the game winner, to eliminate the Pistons.
It was easily Bridges' best playoff performance of the series, and arguably the defining moment of his short Knicks career. After the game, multiple Knicks players gave Bridges his flowers. Brunson stated he was able to stay poised in part because of Bridges, saying, "I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me. I wouldn't be in this position without this man [Bridges] next to me and the way he played tonight."
Bridges was a 2-point savant
The two-way wing was lethal all game from 2-point range. On the night, he shot 6-of-6 at the rim, 2-of-3 in the paint, and 2-of-3 from the mid-range. His only offensive blemish was his 3-point shooting, where he was 1-of-4.
Bridges also threw down a vicious dunk, which was an encouraging sign for the Knicks. Going into the game, he had only shot 50 percent at the rim, over 15 percent worse than he had finished at the rim in the regular season.
— bk (@vidaudio45) May 2, 2025
The rim finishing was encouraging, considering Bridges had been blocked at the rim four times over the previous two games. In Game 6, he showed zero hesitation when going to the hole. His off-ball play was equally encouraging, with multiple beautiful cuts to create great looks for himself.
— bk (@vidaudio45) May 2, 2025
Against Boston, Bridges ability to score at the rim will be a huge factor. Not only will he have to worry about Kristaps Porzingis, one of the most prolific shot-blocking bigs in the league, but he also will spend time being guarded by Derrick White, who is arguably the league's best shot-blocking guard.
One of the ways to help avoid his shots being swatted into the third row will be to dunk the ball, something he only attempted three times in the first round.
Bridges needs to find his 3-ball
While Game 6 was easily Bridges' best playoff performance, he will need to unlock another offensive gear if the Knicks are going to have a fighter's chance against the Celtics.
The Celtics' offense is built around the three. They set NBA records this season for both attempts per game and makes per game from downtown. Bridges shot only 32.4 percent from deep against the Pistons, which simply won't be enough to match the firepower that Boston will bring.
Hopefully this performance will allow Bridges to to forget some of the criticism that has likely weighed on him all season, and continue the playoffs with the support of Knicks nation.