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Mikal Bridges showcased his value to the Knicks by scoring 23 points and effectively defending Tyrese Maxey, leading New York to a 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA — This is the version of Mikal Bridges the Knicks traded five first-round picks for two summers ago: the kind of player capable of slowing down one of the NBA’s elite perimeter scorers while finding his own offensive rhythm when the moment demands it most.
With OG Anunoby sidelined for Game 3 of the Knicks’ second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, New York needed Bridges to do both. To push the Knicks to a commanding 3-0 series lead — one no NBA team has ever blown — he delivered: 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting on one end and another suffocating defensive effort on Tyrese Maxey on the other.
Maxey, who averaged 28 points in the regular season and 27 against Boston in the first round, scored just 17 points in 44 minutes Friday night. Through three games against the Knicks, the Sixers’ All-Star guard is averaging 18 points while shooting 17% from three with Bridges serving as his primary defender.
“I would be not doing my job if I didn’t point out the continued work that Mikal is doing at the point of attack when it comes to Maxey,” head coach Mike Brown said after the win at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “Maxey is a great player. You’re not gonna stop him. You hope he misses a few shots. But you gotta give multiple efforts while guarding him, and Mikal is busting his behind trying to do that, trying to make it tough on him while giving his all offensively.
“So again, I applaud Mikal. I also applaud our defense behind Mikal, too.”
These performances don’t erase the price tag attached to Bridges. They justify it.
The Knicks sent unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031, Milwaukee’s 2025 first-rounder, a 2028 pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick to the Nets for Bridges. In return, the Knicks also got a 2026 second-rounder and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet. Those were the kinds of assets teams reserve for a superstar pursuit — a Giannis Antetokounmpo or conversation.
Mikal Bridges scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and played strong defense, limiting Tyrese Maxey to just 17 points.
Bridges' performance helped the Knicks take a commanding 3-0 lead in their playoff series against the 76ers, a lead no NBA team has ever blown.
Bridges is valued for his ability to score efficiently and defend elite perimeter scorers, as demonstrated in his matchup against Tyrese Maxey.
Tyrese Maxey averaged 28 points in the regular season and 27 points against the Boston Celtics in the first round before facing the Knicks.
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Maybe the Knicks didn’t need another superstar after all.
Maybe they just needed the finishing piece to become exactly who they envisioned under playoff pressure.
“‘Kal is one of those guys,” Josh Hart said after the Game 3 victory. “I never worry about him because he’s going to bring it every game.”
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Hart has probably said some version of that sentence all season.
He understands the questions. Bridges averaged 14.4 points per game this year under Brown, whose uptempo offense was expected to unlock the wing more than perhaps anyone else on the roster.
And whether Bridges shot 0-for-6 against the Lakers in March or turned in a playoff gem in Philadelphia, Hart’s answer never changed.
The Knicks know what they have.
One of the league’s best two-way wings. A player capable of guarding elite scorers for 40-plus minutes while still delivering timely offense. A player sturdy enough to survive the pressure that comes with being “the five-pick guy” in New York.
It takes a certain kind of player to handle that weight.
It takes a certain kind of player to never miss games dating back to high school, then still have enough left in the tank to chase Maxey around screens all night.
“Defensively, he creates havoc on and off the ball. It’s just who he is,” said Jalen Brunson. “He has an instinct that I don’t think you can really teach, but he’s definitely grown as a player every single year and we truly need that.”
Bridges is one of the most clutch defenders in the NBA. He came up with an isolation stop on Cade Cunningham in crunch time to eliminate the Pistons in Game 6 of their first-round series last season. In the second round, he came up with a buzzer-beating steal on Jaylen Brown to cement a 20-point comeback in Game 1. He made huge plays against Maxey in crunch time on Friday to keep a desperate Sixers team winless in three second-round tries.
“I would take it a step further. There’s a ton of stuff that I would argue people don’t see that he does throughout the course of the game that’s far more important than just a couple of the big plays and coming up with a loose ball down the stretch,” said Landry Shamet. “He does that for 48 minutes. So does his level go up and does he show up in big moments? Absolutely, but I would argue that he’s the type of guy that does that for all 48 and finds a way to do it every night.”
***
Brown remembers scouting Bridges as head coach in Sacramento and while serving on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors. The first thing that stood out was the conditioning.
“He runs like a deer,” Brown said after Saturday’s film session. “His gait is beautiful, which makes him fast and it doesn’t even look like it.”
Karl-Anthony Towns remembers the battles against Bridges from his Minnesota days playing against the Phoenix Suns. Like Brown, he points to the physical tools first: 6-6 with a 7-1 wingspan and endless stamina.
“I think that he’s always been athletic, he’s always been talented. I think what’s better is just to see the experience kicking in for him,” Towns said. “He’s using that experience to help us and help himself. It’s great to see that his career has helped make him the best version of himself right now, today.”
Like Hart, Brunson never wavered either. The two have been in the trenches together and won NCAA titles in 2016 and 2018. He’s seen Bridges grow, with his work ethic, his professionalism.
“Obviously he’s played an unlimited amount of games in a row,” said Brunson. “And that’s just a testament to who he is.”
It is who he is: reliable, even when his jumper isn’t falling. And the Knicks need Mr. Reliable now more than ever, especially if Anunoby’s hamstring injury lingers deeper into the postseason.
Better late than never. He might not be there when you call him, but Bridges is right on time for what the Knicks hope is an NBA Finals run ending with a championship.
“He’s going to take each matchup personal. When he gets into that mindset and that mode he’s a heck of a player. He’s doing an amazing job,” Hart said. “[Tyrese Maxey] is a tough task, a tall order. The way [Mikal] is able to maneuver and navigate screens, do all those things, and on top of that, give us good shots, good minutes and a good quality of executing on the offensive end is great.”