The New York Knicks are now one win away from their first trip to the NBA Finals this century with a 121-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving them a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. After a night where the Knicks never trailed on the road, here are the winners and losers from the NBA playoffs.
Winners
Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks
Two years ago, the Knicks traded five first-round picks and a swap to get Mikal Bridges from the crosstown Brooklyn Nets. So far, they have no regrets about the deal, especially after Bridges put up 22 points on 11-for-15 shooting in Game 3, along with three steals and two blocks.
Bridges is shooting 62.8 percent in the playoffs, a stunning number for a perimeter player and a sign of how he’s thrived in Coach Mike Brown’s motion-heavy offense. Six of his baskets came at the rim and two more were in the paint as Bridges’ hustle and feel for the game helped him shred the Cavaliers defense — while guarding James Harden and avoiding fouling him a single time.