Mikal

Bridges

As Tyrese Haliburton’s primary defender, Bridges has been asked to log heavy minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals. After playing 46 minutes in Game 1, he played another 45 on Friday, proving to be New York’s second-best offensive option. Once again, Bridges got going after halftime, shooting 8-of-13 from the field in the second half. With New York heading into Sunday’s Game 3 trailing two games to none, Bridges’ playing time is unlikely to decrease, especially with Josh Hart (6/6/1/1/1 in 29 minutes) not providing much offense.

After shooting 4-of-14 from the field in Wednesday’s Game 5 blowout defeat, Bridges needed to bounce back, as did many of his teammates. The Knicks wing got the job done in Game 6, shooting well over 50 percent from the field and recording a complete stat line. While there has been the occasional hiccup, Bridges has repeatedly reminded fans during this playoff run why the Knicks paid a high price to acquire him last summer. On Wednesday, the Knicks host the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

14 of Bridges’ 23 points came in the second half of one of the biggest Knicks playoff wins in decades. The 28-year-old small forward was his usual active self on the defensive end with four steals and a block. Still, his offensive contributions were potentially even more important, especially with so many of his points coming in the second half and when Jalen Brunson took a rest at the start of the fourth quarter. Bridges has been a thorn in the Celtics’ side this series and will look to keep that going in a potential close out game in Game 5 on Wednesday.

In this series, Bridges has been worth every first that New York had to trade away to acquire him. After ripping the ball away from Jaylen Brown to seal the Game 1 win, Bridges stole the ball from Jayson Tatum in the final seconds of Game 2 to give the Knicks a 2-0 lead as they head back home for Games 3 and 4. It was a rough first three quarters offensively for Bridges, but he scored all 14 of his points in the final frame. The box score doesn’t show just how impactful Bridges has been in this series, especially in the clutch.

Having last missed a basketball game during his junior year of high school, Bridges has been the NBA’s “iron man” since entering the league. However, that may have been extreme on Monday, as the Knicks wing played 51 of a possible 53 minutes. Bridges was fresh enough to make the game’s deciding play, as he ripped the ball away from Jaylen Brown before the Celtics guard could attempt a potential game-tying three-pointer. Bridges did not shoot the ball well, but he was impactful as a defender and playmaker to help the Knicks steal Game 1. Game 2 is on Wednesday.

Bridges’ three-point shooting struggles continued Thursday as he went 1-of-4 from behind the arc, but his 25 points were critical for a Knicks team desperate for scoring from anyone not named Jalen Brunson. Bridges was 10-of-12 on two-point field goals and none was bigger than his game-tying left-handed tip-in with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. The Knicks are going to need more consistent offensive performances from Bridges if they’re going to have any chance of getting past the Celtics in round two.

Anunoby was one of two Knicks starters to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, with Josh Hart being the other. Unfortunately for him, OG only attempted 13 shots, with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges (17/6/2/0/1 with two three-pointers) leading the way with 16 attempts each (they were a combined 11-of-32). Anunoby has also taken on the unenviable task of defending Cade Cunningham more than any other Knick, and he has impacted the Pistons’ point guard’s efficiency. New York will need another strong effort from Anunoby in Game 6 on Thursday.

After scoring eight points in New York’s series-opening victory, Bridges totaled 39 in Games 2 and 3. He did a bit of everything on Thursday, recording a complete stat line while shooting over 50 percent from the field. With the Knicks looking to give Jalen Brunson the occasional respite while on the court, Bridges has done a little more in the way of playmaking in this series. That has not resulted in an explosion in the assist category, but it has ensured that Bridges remains involved offensively. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon in Detroit.

Bridges was the second-leading scorer behind Jalen Brunson (37) for the Knicks in this game, but he still wasn’t great, especially down the stretch. He was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and missed multiple clean looks late in the game, including a three-pointer with 11 seconds left that would’ve tied this game. Instead, New York will now head to Detroit for Game 3 with the series tied at one game apiece. Bridges only had eight points in Game 1, and they’ll need him to be much better for the Knicks to reclaim homecourt advantage in this series.

The Knicks secured the third seed in the East before Sunday’s game, so there isn’t anything on the line besides Bridges’s games-played streak. He logged six seconds before intentionally fouling a Nets player, with Landry Shamet replacing him in the lineup. Bridges, whose NBA games-played streak is 556, has not missed a game since high school. He’ll be ready for the Knicks’ first-round matchup with the Pistons next weekend.