Knicks Bask In Mikal Bridges' Redemption

The New York Knicks savored Mikal Bridges' Friday night showcase after a brutal start to the season.

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) brings the ball up court against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Former Villanova Wildcat Mikal Bridges was up to scratch and then some for the New York Knicks on Friday night.

With all eyes on him after a dreary debut, Bridges flashed his renowned two-way game in the Knicks' victorious home opener against the Indiana Pacers: in addition to playing shutdown defense (part of an effort that held the high-flying Pacers below 100 points), Bridges scored 21 points on 8-of-12 from the field en route to a 123-98 triumph over the team that ended New York's most recent playoff run.

There are (at least) 80 more opportunities for the tide to turn, but Bridges' colleagues and superiors alike were more than happy to bask in his early redemption.

"Where we are today, with everything, social media, everyone wants, has an opinion on everything," head coach Tom Thibodeau said in video from SNY. "Yet the guy who's doing the work every day ... When you watch him work, you know how much he puts into it. Then, his body of work ... This guy has shot nearly 38 percent for his career (from three). Me, I'd be on that."

"I never thought he wasn't in his bag," fellow Madison Square Garden virgin Karl-Anthony Towns added (h/t SNY). "That was preseason. I could've sworn when we started the game in Boston, it was 0-for-0. He did his job when the lights turned on."

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) attempts to steal the ball from New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

For the time being, Bridges holds the last laugh against social media critics who questioned his adjusted jump shot. A frozen preseason that Towns alluded to (2-of-19 from three-point range) didn't help matters, but since missing his first five shots in the Knicks' opening night loss in Boston, the former Brooklynite has sunk 15-of-20, including 4-of-6 from deep.

Bridges was part of a diverse metropolitan scoring effort on Friday, as he was one of four New Yorkers to score at least 20 points. As one of the primary differences from last year's group, however, greater scrutiny is set to follow him all year. The fact that the Knicks mortgaged a good bit of their future to obtain Bridges' services was a star departure from the draft pick stockpiling they engaged in over the prior couple of offseasons.

That, along with the roar of an appreciative MSG crowd, certainly makes occasions like Friday all the more sweet.

Bridges can keep the momentum rolling come Monday when the Knicks (1-1) do battle at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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