Two rounds ago, Mikal Bridges was a meme. On Saturday night, he was the best player on the floor.
The New York Knicks wing scored 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland. He attacked the rim. He hit pull-ups. He made the right read every time the Cavaliers helped on him. After a first round series where his shooting numbers were so bad that Knicks fans were openly questioning the trade, Bridges has flipped the entire narrative.
The internet noticed.
What Happened in the First Round
Bridges had a rough series against the Pistons. He went through stretches where his shot looked broken. Knicks fans, who watched the team give up five first-round picks to get him, were not having it. The “Why did we trade for this guy” tweets were coming in fast.
The low point was Game 2, when Bridges had a chance to put away a tight game and missed multiple looks down the stretch. The internet roasted him. Tom Thibodeau stood by him publicly. Bridges said nothing in the media. He just kept working.
The Turnaround
Bridges started looking like himself again in the second round. By the conference finals, he was a force on both ends. The Cavaliers had no answer for him in Game 3. He was aggressive offensively from the opening tip. He moved without the ball. He cut hard. He hit open shots.
On defense, he was guarding multiple positions. He had Mitchell, then Garland, then Mobley on switches. Cleveland could not isolate him into a bad matchup. That is exactly why the Knicks made the trade.
The Knicks Are Different With This Bridges
New York looked like a championship team in Game 3 because Bridges is providing exactly what was promised. He is the second creator behind Brunson. He is the perimeter defensive ace. He is the connector who makes the rotation work. When he is playing like this, the Knicks have no weaknesses.
Fans who were ready to declare the trade a disaster are now writing love letters. That is how playoff basketball works. Reputations get made and destroyed in two weeks.
The Knicks are up 3-0 and can sweep Monday. Bridges has put himself back on the All-Defense conversation and back in the good graces of Madison Square Garden. The contract he signed last summer suddenly looks like a steal.
Two rounds ago, he was a punching bag. Now he is one win from the NBA Finals. Basketball is a strange game.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
