Mikal Bridges did not hide the lesson he carried out of the 2021 NBA Finals. The Knicks forward said a 2-0 lead with Phoenix felt like the start of a title run, only for Milwaukee to win four straight and leave the Suns stunned.
Bridges revisited that run in 2024 on the "Roommates Show," saying he thought Phoenix was good after the first two wins. He started for the Suns in that series, scored 27 points in Game 2 and then watched the favorite unravel after the break, a memory that still shapes how he talks about postseason pressure.
That memory matters now because the Knicks are back in the NBA Finals, and Bridges is the player on the roster with the most meaningful Finals experience. New York won the Eastern Conference for the first time in 27 years and has built an 11-game postseason winning streak, with Bridges averaging 18.7 points since being benched after a scoreless Game 3 against Atlanta in the first round while shooting over 62 percent from the field.
He sounded almost amused by how certain Phoenix felt at the time. Bridges said the Suns believed they were about to win the chip, especially because they viewed the West as tougher than the East, and even the matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks did not shake that confidence. Then the series turned, and Milwaukee's four straight wins made that confidence look reckless in hindsight.
The warning for New York is obvious. The Knicks are seeking their first title in 53 years, and Bridges has been around long enough to know that a Finals trip does not protect anyone from what comes next. OG Anunoby is the only Knicks player with a ring, and Jordan Clarkson's 2018 trip with Cleveland offered little on-court experience, which leaves Bridges' voice carrying extra weight as the series begins.
Bridges is not offering a grand prediction. He is saying the job is still in front of them, and the past title chance he thought was secure is proof that the hardest part starts after a team thinks it has arrived.
