Knicks-76ers Notes: Mikal Bridges’ emergence; has New York’s offense unlocked something?

A few notes on the Knicks’ Game 1 rout of the 76ers…

BUILDING BRIDGES

Mikal Bridges‘ fingerprints were all over New York’s dominant win.

He gave the Knicks 22 points and five assists in 26 minutes. He hit seven of 10 shots. New York outscored Philadelphia by 19 with Bridges on the court.

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On the other end of the floor, Bridges helped hold Tyrese Maxey to 3-for-8 shooting and three turnovers in the first half of Game 1.

“I give Mikal a lot of credit for is his alertness and his ability to have multiple efforts when guarding Maxey because Maxey is similar to Steph (Curry), you know, where he’s constantly moving, especially when it comes to the two game with (Joel) Embiid,” Mike Brown said. “So he’s a hard (cover). You can’t ever relax.”

Bridges certainly didn’t relax on Monday and he didn’t fold after a few ugly performances early in the playoffs.

In his last two games, Bridges has scored 46 points on a combined 17-for-22 shooting and handed out eight assists.

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“He’s a huge factor for us,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s been playing great.”

The Knicks used five first-round picks to acquire Bridges from Brooklyn. So his play will always be heavily scrutinized.

Bridges has had an uneven performance in his Knicks tenure thus far. But, like the Knicks a whole, Bridges may be finding his stride at the perfect time.

“Obviously, there’s times throughout the season for every player when there’s ups and downs. But he stays mentally strong,” Brunson said of his Villanova teammate. “He comes into work, does his work, does his routine and all that stuff. As long as you keep chipping away things are going to fall in your favor.”

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) runs up court after a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden / Vincent Carchietta – Imagn Images

BRUNSON BURNER

Brunson had a fantastic game on Monday.

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He had 35 points, three assists and two steals against the Sixers. It was his 16th career playoff game scoring 35+ points. That ties former teammate Luka Doncic for seventh among active players in the…

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Publish date : 2026-05-05 13:00:00

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