Overtime win over Bulls gives Knicks another reason to be thankful for trade

The New York Knicks chose not to make things easy on fans after the All-Star break, picking up where they left off last week with another overtime win at MSG.

Chicago had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, with the score tied at 104. Lonzo Ball lobbed the ball down low to Nikola Vucevic, who was guarded by Mikal Bridges. Vucevic turned and tried to put in what would've been the game-winning shot, but Bridges had other plans. He blocked the shot to send the game into overtime. The Knicks went on to win, 113-111.

Bridges didn't have a good shooting night, finishing 6-of-16 from the field and 1-of-5 from three. He found other ways to impact the game, posting 10 rebounds (to go with his 13 points), five assists, and two blocks.

He's had his ups and downs this season, but he came up big when it mattered most on Thursday. It showed why the Knicks were willing to give up a slew of first-round picks to get him. When the shock factor of the trade wore off, it was labeled an overpay. The thought process was (and has been) that Bridges would never be an All-Star, so why did New York pay that high of a price?

Mikal Bridges comes up big for Knicks in overtime win over Bulls

The start of the season was rough enough for Bridges, and it didn't help to constantly hear about the haul Brooklyn got from New York for him. His Knicks journey began with unfair expectations because of the first-round picks the Knicks gave up. Bridges' play was dissected under a microscope every single night (and still is).

Some forgot that just because Bridges played with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart at Villanova didn't mean the crosstown transition would be seamless. He went from being the No. 1 option in Brooklyn to not being one of the top two options in New York. Bridges entered a new system.

You can argue that the Knicks gave up a lot for Bridges but also acknowledge his value to New York. Yes, it'd be nice to see him expand his shot chart (he's aced the corner three), but that isn't enough to declare the Knicks losers of the trade. Believe it or not, it's still too early to say how the trade will affect New York.

Bridges has his flaws, but without his block on Thursday, Vucevic could've left MSG with a game-winner under his belt. Like Brunson said, we're thankful for Bridges' "long-a** arms."