Mikal Bridges

To advance the basketball the length of the floor in a single pass is to do something rare; to generate three passes in two-fourths of a second is to do the nearly-impossible. Though, as Mikal Bridges’ new in-sync offense has confirmed through the NBA’s eighth-most assists, if any recent version of the New York Knicks was capable of doing so, it was going to be them. Fruitful already in treating the Big Apple to an 18-point opening-half lead, Bridges moves innocently towards the opposite end as his teammate attempts a high-risk, high-reward length-of-the-floor heave. In a beautiful sequence that almost seemed to arrive by design, Bridges — clearly within view of his all-seeing All-Star center — collects a heads-up catch-and-pass before elevating into a buzzer-beating bank shot. New York’s victory over the Orlando Magic — and 4-0 record in Cup Play — told the story of a cohesive unit, with Bridges’ play proving key. By game’s end, the multifaceted forward scored 19 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), accompanied by two rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers.