Dylan Backer
New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has had an overall wonky season, but this postseason he has stepped up in a big way and is becoming a major difference maker for a group that is rolling right now.
Knicks’ Mikal Bridges has really stepped up this postseason
New York has won six consecutive playoff games and now carry a 3-0 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers heading into Mother’s Day on Sunday. A big reason for that? Bridges’ impact on both ends of the floor.
Game 3 was perhaps the most important game for Bridges to deliver, and he did. With OG Anunoby sitting out that game with a minor hamstring strain, Bridges had to step up as the third option on offense, and he came through at a desperate time for New York.
Bridges scored 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor and 2-for-4 from three, along with two steals on offense and finishing as a +15. New York routed Philadelphia 108-94 despite not having Anunoby, setting themselves up for their first playoff series sweep since the first round in 1999.
Bridges has found something that is working offensively
Over his last four games, Bridges has been scoring more efficiently and more balanced. He is showing more aggression than usual on the offensive end, finishing more at the rim while also taking smarter shots. That aggression is a game-changer for him.
Furthermore, Bridges’ defense has been top notch all postseason. He took Nickeil Alexander-Walker out of that first round series against the Hawks, and has silenced Tyrese Maxey thus far in the second round.
Bridges was an important player for them in last year’s playoffs, notably with his two clutch defensive stops in Boston. This time around, he is molding into a complete player that the Knicks were hoping he’d become at some point, and he is getting hot at the right time.
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