beyond the back page Mikal Bridges’ long-awaited emergence couldn’t come at a better time for the Knicks By Jake Nisse Published May 7, 2026, 7:40 a.m. ET Mikal Bridges reacts with a yell after a second quarter dunk against the 76ers on May 6, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post He wasn’t the Knicks’ highest scorer on Wednesday. Or the second, or third.
But for the third consecutive game, Mikal Bridges looked comfortable and confident on offense — a significant departure from a three-game stretch in the first round during which he failed to even break double figures.
The 29-year-old has never needed to be the alpha opposite Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, even if he’s capable of it in certain games.
But — fair or not — the specter of the five first-round picks used to acquire him from Brooklyn hangs over Bridges whenever he has a poor night. And zero points in a playoff game, like he had in Game 3 against Atlanta, just isn’t going to cut it.
