Villanova in the Pros: Mikal Bridges Buzzer Beater Silences Haters

With former Villanova Wildcats star Jalen Brunson, who ranks in the NBA’s top ten in both points and assists this season, out for at least two weeks due to injury, the New York Knicks needed to find someone else to step up.

On Wednesday, March 12, it was fellow Wildcats alumnus Mikal Bridges who threw his hat in the ring, contributing 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting as the Knicks took down the Trail Blazers 114-113 in overtime. Bridges provided the winning shot, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a three-pointer at the buzzer. He also put the Knicks ahead 106-101 with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter before Portland stormed back to tie the game, while fellow Villanova-turned-Knicks star Josh Hart dropped a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Knicks acquired Bridges in the offseason for a massive trade package that included five first round picks, but it’s been an up and down season for the 28-year-old wing, finding his fit on a team that already has Brunson and fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. Ahead of the win over Portland, Bridges made waves with a comment on Knicks’ head coach Tom Thibodeau’s leadership style published in an article from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

New York notoriously plays its starters for the vast majority of the game, and Bridges said he asked his head coach to give more minutes to the bench. Catching flack for his comments — some perceived him as a shrinking violet in the midst of a disappointing season — Bridges responded with his second highest scoring game of the season, silencing the doubters.