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The New York Knicks are going back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. A lot of the love clearly goes to huge names like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns for this huge triumph but there is someone who is doing insanely well in their squad. He goes by the name of Mikal Bridges and his play style might be why they finally win the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Bridges might be key to Knicks winning 2026 NBA Finals
Run-and-gun has been the reason why the Knicks did insanely well throughout the NBA Playoffs. They killed the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers with that style of play. As of recent, the Cleveland Cavaliers have also fallen victim to these choreographed scheme of sequences in transition.
Sure, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns play huge parts in running these plays for the Knicks but it is Mikal Bridges who thrives here. In fact, when the Knicks ran twice as many plays in transition against the Cavaliers, it was Bridges who either scored or assisted on 35 out of 95 points throughout the Eastern Conference Finals.
How does this impact the Knicks' chances of winning the NBA Finals?
For starters, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs excel better in the halfcourt more than in transition. Moreover, the Knicks get a whopping total of 23.8 points per game while going 67.6% from the field when they run with the ball.
Defensively, they are great at defending the break with Bridges as the leader too. The Knicks limited the Cavaliers to 37 plays in transition with an average of 9.5 points per game. Even when the Cavaliers cross halfcourt fast, the Knicks catch up which leads to an average field goal distance of 13.8 feet and a 56.5% field goal percentage. When all of these numbers are crunched, Bridges leading them on the break caused the Knicks to have an insane +57 in transition, per ESPN Insights.
Knicks fans should monitor how Bridges runs the break against the Thunder or Spurs during the NBA Finals because it will determine whether they get to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy after the longest time.
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