Mikal Bridges knows from experience that a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals doesn’t guarantee a championship, writes Brendan Mau of SI.com. Bridges was part of the Phoenix team that won the first two games of the 2021 Finals, then lost four in a row to Milwaukee, so he’s in position to deliver a warning to his teammates.
“0-0 man, f—— keep playing, sorry … Desperate. That’s it, man,” Bridges said Friday in a postgame appearance on ESPN’s Inside the NBA. “Take this rest. We got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”
Bridges’ defense played a major role in helping the Knicks get two wins in San Antonio, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News notes in a subscriber-only story. So far in the series, he’s holding De’Aaron Fox to 0-of-4 from the field and Stephon Castle to 1-of-7 when serving as their primary defender.
“Just gut. Just fight,” Bridges said during an intense interview with MSG (Twitter video link). “A lot of integrity, poise, staying together. We’re gonna fight to the end. They made a run. They’re a really good team, but we’re gonna fight to the end. I wish we had a better fourth quarter. They’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we’ve gotta be better.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
The team is proving that it can win without great shooting nights from Jalen Brunsonstates Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). Brunson is 19-of-56 overall and 4-of-17 from three-point range in the first two games, but he has made clutch shots in the final minutes of both contests to swing the outcome. “He’s a hell of a player,” Fox said. “Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented, so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games.”
Coach Mike Brown singled out the contributions from Landry Shametwho scored 13 points in 30 minutes off the bench Friday night (Twitter video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “I’m talking about his whole career because he’s been a journeyman,” Brown said, “but he probably deserved more of an opportunity because what he does out on the floor on both ends is very hard to find in this league, especially at his size, with is mental and physical toughness. We gave him an opportunity and showed him we loved him. He embraced it and he ran with it.”
The Knicks might have let Friday’s game slip away if not for assistant coach Jordan Brinkreveals Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The team’s director of video services convinced Brown to challenge a call with 2:37 remaining in the game. Officials determined that AND Anunoby was fouled on the play and was sent to the line for three shots.
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