Mikal Bridges has not had the dream first season with the New York Knicks. He has faced endless criticism for his inconsistency and lack of aggression, and that criticism is largely attached to the price tag of five first-round picks to acquire Bridges in the summer.
Mikal Bridges has shown off his clutch gene for the Knicks this postseason
However, this postseason has seen the version of Bridges that they want, and he is coming through in a big way. While his offense has still been up-and-down overall, he has made the plays that matter on both ends of the floor.
His defensive instincts essentially won the Knicks both Games 1 and 2 of their second round matchup against the Boston Celtics, and his offense showed up in a crucial Game 4 win to gain a 3-1 series advantage.
In Game 4 on Monday, Bridges scored 23 points and recorded four steals while shooting 11-for-21 from the field. He made a bunch of clutch shots in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting as he played the entire closing frame.
Bridges is making a strong impact on both ends
Bridges now has 26 fourth quarter points this series, which is just two points shy of his combined total from the first three quarters of each game this series. While all the attention in the clutch has been on Jalen Brunson, Bridges has also made key contributions in the situations that matter, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Bridges’ mid-range game has worked wonders for him as he still is struggling with the three-point shot. So far this series, he has risen to the occasion in crunch time and has made a tremendous impact for a Knicks team that was heavy underdogs entering this series.
With them needing just one more victory to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, they will need Bridges to continue making a positive impact the rest of the way. Game 5 is set for Wednesday night at the TD Garden in Boston.