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All Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks hoped for this Christmas was to extend their winning streak to five games, and at Madison Square Garden, Mikal Bridges made that wish a reality. Bridges delivered his most impressive game as a Knick, pouring in 41 points on an efficient 17-of-25 shooting. His performance powered New York to a gripping 117-114 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
“They say slow and steady wins the race, and that’s what he’s been. If you look at his whole career, he just keeps getting better and better and better. What is he? It’s hard to put him in a box because he does everything. He can run the floor in transition. He moves extremely well without the ball. He knows how to create advantages. You can put him in pick-and-roll. He’s smart. There’s so many intangibles that he brings to the team. It’s creating big advantages for us.” said the Knicks head coach when talking about Bridges.
Mikal Bridges with his Christmas heroics for the Knicks
Mikal Bridges entered an elite group with his performance, becoming only the third Knicks player in history to score 40+ points on Christmas Day. He joined Bernard King (60 points) and Richie Guerin (40 points), according to New York Knicks PR.
The Knicks forward's clutch performance erased an eight-point deficit in the final seven minutes, countering an extraordinary effort from reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs' star dazzled with 42 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks.
Bridges and Wembanyama made history as the first opponents to each score 40 points in a Christmas Day game since 1961. Bridges' impressive performance was just four points short of his career-high 45, which he achieved last season with the Nets during a November clash against the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s great, man. It feels good. Feels good to win. That’s the biggest thing,” the Knicks star said in his post-game interview. “All those shots and trying to make shots is about winning the game. That’s pretty much it. It’s cool. I know my family’s geeked up. I know they’re gonna be more geeked up than me.”
Bridges' stellar play capped off a remarkable December, during which he averaged 22.7 points while shooting nearly 60% from the field and 50% from three-point range. This marks a significant resurgence for the forward, who was brought to New York in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets involving five first-round picks but initially faced challenges adapting to his new team.
Bridges finally finding his footing in New York
Bridges' dazzling display concluded an impressive December, where he posted averages of 22.7 points while connecting on nearly 60% of his field goals and 50% of his three-point attempts. It signifies a notable rebound for the forward, acquired in a huge trade involving five first-round picks, who initially struggled to find his footing with the Knicks.
The 28-year old poured in 15 of his 41 points during the fourth quarter, staying on the court for the entire 12 minutes to lead the Knicks to their 15th victory in their last 19 games. His revival has been clear since a 31-point standout effort against New Orleans on Dec. 1. Prior to that game, Bridges was averaging only 15.5 points per game while shooting a mere 30.6% from beyond the arc.
Josh Hart also had a significant impact in the win, tallying 12 points, 12 rebounds with his final two offensive rebounds coming in at the dying seconds of the game, and six assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds, snapping his remarkable streak of 18 straight double-doubles. Despite a tough shooting night at 7-of-23 from the floor, Jalen Brunson contributed with 20 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.
