Knicks’ Mikal Bridges reveals how past NBA Finals experience influenced 2026 success

This New York Knicks team is now just two wins away from winning their first title in 53 years after managing to hold on for a 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns will be drawing all the headlines for his excellent two-way play, and Jalen Brunson will get the plaudits for showing up when it mattered the most as he clinched the victory for the Knicks by scoring their final three points.

But the Knicks would not have been in a winning position had it not been for Mikal Bridges. Bridges recorded 20 points on 8-13 shooting from the field, and he was essential in keeping New York on the high side amid Towns’ foul trouble in the third quarter.

Bridges was as reliable as it can get for the Knicks, and it helps that he knows the level that is required when the stage becomes this bright and grand, having been to the NBA Finals in the past.

“I think just being here before, knowing how it’s going to be. Just a lot of experience, knowing how much effort you need to give every single moment,” Bridges said in his postgame presser, via SNY.

"I think just being here before, knowing how it's going to be. Just a lot of experience, knowing how much effort you need to give every single moment."

Mikal Bridges talks about how his prior NBA Finals experience is helping him now with the Knicks: pic.twitter.com/135WNuGAvb

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 6, 2026

Bridges was a part of the Phoenix Suns roster that made it to the NBA Finals in 2021, and that was a team that took a 2-0 lead in the series before they lost four consecutive games. So he of all people would know that the Knicks cannot afford to be complacent, not even for a single moment.

It’s easy to forget now, but Bridges struggled to begin the 2026 NBA playoffs. Many questioned the Knicks’ decision to bring him in in exchange for six first-round picks. No one’s questioning that right now. He’s been a steadying presence for New York, an iron man who can defend multiple positions, and an invaluable member of a Knicks team that is inching closer to winning it all.

The post Knicks’ Mikal Bridges reveals how past NBA Finals experience influenced 2026 success appeared first on ClutchPoints.