The Boston Celtics weren’t taking place with out a battle.
Jalen Brunson’s 18-point third quarter had simply turned what was as soon as a 14-point deficit right into a three-point Knicks lead going into the fourth quarter of Recreation 4, however the Celtics had one other punch in them.
Enter Mikal Bridges.
Bridges’ clutch shot-making down the stretch Monday night time proved invaluable because the Knicks accomplished one other unbelievable come-from-behind win, placing them up 3-1 within the second-round playoff sequence over the defending champion Celtics.
The ahead scored 10 factors on 5-of-6 taking pictures within the fourth quarter of the 121-113 victory at Madison Sq. Backyard, as soon as once more giving the Knicks precisely what they wanted in a vital postseason second.
“It’s the will to win,” Bridges, 28, mentioned. “That’s pretty much it. Just having the fight to win, doing whatever it takes.”
The Knicks entered the fourth with an 88-85 lead, however with Brunson out of the sport to start out the quarter, another person wanted to step up.
Bridges made jumpers on the Knicks’ first two possessions, then discovered a driving Karl-Anthony Cities for an help on their subsequent basket because the lead elevated to 94-89.
Brunson checked again in with 8:53 left within the recreation, however Bridges remained the offensive point of interest, sinking one other pull-up jumper on the Knicks’ subsequent possession.
And the Knicks wanted all of it.
Jayson Tatum scored 11 factors within the first six minutes of the fourth, together with a 3-pointer that gave Boston a 99-98 lead with 7:17 to go.
However Bridges hit one other jumper the subsequent time down the courtroom, and the Knicks by no means trailed once more. Bridges added one other basket with 3:22 left within the recreation, placing the Knicks up by seven factors.
Bridges went 6-of-15 within the first three quarters however completed with 23 factors on 11-of-21 taking pictures, together with seven rebounds, three assists, 4 steals and a block.
He made every of his first 5 field-goal makes an attempt within the fourth quarter.
“He played hard the whole game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned. “I thought he had some good looks that didn’t go in, but that didn’t sway him at all. He got going big time in the fourth quarter. Those were huge shots he hit.”
The late-game heroics continued a torrid postseason for Bridges, who was typically the topic of scrutiny throughout his first season with the Knicks.
The Knicks traded 5 first-round picks to the Nets final summer season to accumulate Bridges, envisioning his two-way profile as a confirmed scorer and elite wing defender as a lacking piece.
It took time for Bridges to mesh, despite the fact that he was school teammates at Villanova with Brunson and Josh Hart. The Knicks deployed Bridges in another way than the Nets did, together with by asking him to commonly defend the purpose of assault.
“I’m so proud of him as a teammate, as a friend, going through all the adversity that he’s gone through this season,” Hart mentioned. “He’s never complained. He always comes to work happy, smiling. He deserves his credit and his flowers.”
Bridges was equally clutch within the Knicks’ series-ending Recreation 6 win over the Detroit Pistons within the first spherical, when he scored 25 factors and delivered a game-tying tip-in with 35.1 seconds remaining.
He then sealed the Knicks’ wins in Video games 1 and a couple of with a steal within the waning seconds each nights, first towards Jaylen Brown after which towards Tatum.
“I’ve seen him since 2015,” mentioned Brunson, who gained two NCAA championships with Bridges. “I’ve seen the way his work ethic has grown each year, and I’ve seen everything he does, how psychotic he is with his work. It all pays off. I have full trust in him no matter what the situation is.”
