Mikal Bridges had another critic-silencing performance on Saturday to all but close out the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The New York Knicks swingman looked like the co-star Jalen Brunson needed in a 121-108 victory in Game 3 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Bridges tallied 22 points on 11/15 shooting to help his team get one win away from completing a sweep and securing a trip to the NBA Finals.
Bridges also piled on six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in an all-around performance across nearly 40 minutes of action. The Knicks were +19 with Bridges on the floor.
The exemplary play from Bridges prompted several fans to admit that he has looked worth his hefty price tag of late. The Knicks traded five first-round picks to acquire Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in 2024.
Mikal Bridges has been playing better than 5 1st round picks.
— Sam Morril (@sammorril) May 24, 2026
Don’t want to see “5 first round picks” on my timeline ever again.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 24, 2026
How many picks did we trade for Mikal Bridges again?
— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) May 24, 2026
Oh, okay!
Bridges hit rock bottom during the Knicks’ first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks after missing the potential game-winning shot in Game 2. He followed that up with a scoreless Game 3 and a pair of single-digit outings in Games 4 and 5.
The Villanova alum has bounced back in a big way since then. Through three conference finals games, Bridges has averaged 19.7 points on an absurd 71.1 percent shooting clip while also playing stellar defense.
