No one in Manhattan is lamenting lost draft picks now that Mikal Bridges has the New York Knicks two wins shy of a title.
New York Knicks fans routinely risk causing property damage, viral infamy, and even incarceration in the name of seeing their team succeed. Five first-round picks is hardly a sacrifice in metropolitan eyes.
The price to obtain the services of Mikal Bridges is buried deeper than the gold vault at the Federal Reserve in Manhattan in the Knicks fan’s imagination. Bridges re-established his place on the pantheon of New York hardwood heroes by pairing 20 points with six assists and rebounds each in the Knicks’ narrow yet noisy 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
‘Kal Yeah
Game 2 of the series will go down as a literal painting: the enduring image of the showdown will likely be Karl-Anthony Towns’ penetration prowess against Victor Wembanyama, as the former posted a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double that turned a dozen-point deficit into a four-point lead by halftime. A triple from Bridges closer to the top of the third gave the Knicks a double-figure lead before most Frost Bank Center fans returned from their halftime trips to the restroom or concessions stand.
However, a Wembanyama breakout inched the Spurs back into the game, with the crowd back into thanks to a late flurry from the future face of the Association and Stephon Castle. The rally was partly brought on by Towns taking his fourth foul and franchise face Jalen Brunson enduring an uncharacteristically poor shooting night.
With head coach Mike Brown generating creative new lineup matches throughout his succession of the static yet solid efforts of Tom Thibodeau, one of his boldest outputs came when he made Bridges the de facto quarterback of a backup unit that also featured Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, and Landry Shamet. Starters like Brunson and Towns watched from the bench, perhaps anticipating strategizing for another comeback.
Instead, Bridges took control of an 8-3 run to close the period, helping generate six of the points in that span: he capped off a perfect 4-of-4 period with consecutive pull-ups before finding Robinson for an emphatic alley-oop with 35 seconds remaining. Even more importantly, the Fox didn’t have much to say with Bridges hounding him: Fox sank all of his tries in the second half but was limited to only three in the last 24 after going 4-of-5 in the opening period alone.
All that and more was enough to give the Knicks enough of a foundation to withstand a late San Antonio run, which saw the Spurs muster a tie before a late Brunson freebie created the winning margin. New York personnel made sure Bridges had his due after the joyful aftermath subsided.
“[Bridges] was huge for us on both ends of the floor,” Brown lauded, per Howie Kussoy of the New York Post. “You’re not stopping a guy like De’Aaron Fox. You’ve just got to try to make him work. We put Mikal on Fox in the second half a little bit and made him work. But what he did for us offensively when we were struggling and then when we took Jalen out was huge. He made big play after big play after big play.”
BRIDGES WENT 4-FOR-4 FROM THE FIELD IN Q3!
He’s got 20 PTS (4 3PM) as the Knicks lead by 9 heading into Q4 of Game 2
pic.twitter.com/fzViWU10dx
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2026
Bridge of Flies
For the time being, Bridges’ primary place in metropolitan lore is serving as the star of a rare trade between the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
Originally envisioned as the face of the Nets’ post-Kevin Durant era, Bridges endured Brooklyn sweats as a headliner and was made to switch boroughs just under 17 months after he was acquired.
The question of the Bridges cost has followed him ever since he walked over the East River. While known for his refreshing perfect attendance mark (a streak of 638 straight check-ins to open his NBA career), Bridges’ Manhattan melodies have often been described as rollercoaster verses that made many question if he was truly worth the five-pick price.
Even high-profile clutch efforts (i.e. back-to-back closing time turnovers that helped the Knicks take a 2-0 lead on defending champion Boston in last year’s conference semis) haven’t been enough to fully turn the tide. Just last month, some wondered if the Knicks would come to regret building Bridges after he posted a point column goose egg in an opening round loss to Atlanta that put the Knicks in a 1-2 hole.
But saving the best for last should finally tilt things in the Knicks’ favor and set the tone for what could be a very, very lucrative stretch of Manhattan basketball. Even if the Knicks somehow sputter against the Spurs, Bridges’ efforts should keep them at or near the top of the conference until further notice. That will keep the discarded draft picks at the higher end of the draft board, ensuring that local hardwood supremacy remains stationed in Manhattan … though, Bridges and Co. obviously have larger aspirations in mind.
“It’s just go time. It’s winning time. It’s that season. I’m trying to go out there and give it all I’ve got for this team, my teammates, the coaches, for the organization, fans,” said Bridges, one of the few 2026 Finals participants with prior O’Brien Trophy battle experience under his belt. “I think being here before, knowing how it’s going to be, yeah, just a lot of experience knowing how much effort you need to give every single moment. Same situation, up 2-0, and I’ve got to be able to talk to these guys and just keep level-headed and just keep playing desperate.”
If You Can Make It There …
Throughout five-decade-plus championship drought that could be reaching its final hours, the Knicks have had their share of pricey misfires. It’s one thing to give Joakim Noah $18 million a year. It’s another to give up a half-decade of premier draft picks, the finest form of Association currency, for the de facto power of friendship … all while involving a local rival.
That’s what the Knicks did upon acquiring Bridges, staging 41 Villanova University homecomings at Madison Square Garden by teaming him up with fellow former Wildcats Brunson and Josh Hart. Another pick of the Main Line litter, Donte DiVincenzo, would’ve joined them if he wasn’t sent west to Minnesota in deal that acquired Towns. It was a deal that made it clear that the Knicks no longer found a mere playoff presence to be a barometer of a successful tour.
But Bridges’ frequent blooming breakouts in late spring have proven once and for all that there was a practical purpose beyond mere reunions. That mission has been realized in the form of the Knicks reaching the cusp of raising a long-sought third championship banner.
“You can’t say enough about him. I’m not surprised about it,” Hart heralded when asked about Bridges’ success. “I don’t think anyone else is surprised or should be surprised. That’s what he does. He’s a winning basketball player. He makes big-time shots, big-time stops. He takes the challenge and he’s a hell of a basketball player.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Editor’s Pick
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