The New York Knicks got their second consecutive road win last night, and they did it in dramatic fashion. Trailing by two with 3.4 seconds remaining in overtime, Mikal Bridges inbounded to teammate Josh Hart, then took a handoff and sprinted to the top of the key, just getting his shot off over the outstretched hand of 7-foot-2 Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan.
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Bridges’ shot swished through with no time remaining on the clock, setting off a raucous celebration with his teammates and earning a rare “double bang” from announcer Mike Breen. The win moved the Knicks to 42-23 on the year, but it probably wouldn’t have happened if not for a keen bit of observation from Hart.
Hart described after the game how he noticed that Clingan was playing in drop coverage before that final inbounds play, so he gave Bridges some instructions to spring him for an open look: “Make sure you ball fake, and I’mma get open and Imma get you the ball. And then he did what he does.”
MIKAL BRIDGES, ARE YOU SERIOUS!!?
33 POINTS AND THE GAME-WINNING TREY pic.twitter.com/7iubWATP1Q
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 13, 2025
Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was regretful after the loss, saying, “To be honest with you, on that final play, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have taken DC out of the game. That’s really my fault, to be honest with you.”
Clingan did everything he could to get a hand in Bridges’ face, but it wasn’t enough.
This win could give the Knicks the jolt they need as we get closer to the end of the regular season
The Knicks have been a bit up and down lately. They just recently lost three straight games to the Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers, but before that, they won three in a row against the Sixers, Grizzlies, and Heat.
This win, combined with Tuesday’s 29-point beat down of the Kings, got NY back to .500 on their current road trip, which will end Saturday night with a chance for revenge at Golden State.
The win also allowed the Knicks to keep their faint hopes for the 2-seed in the East alive, as they gained a game on the Celtics after Boston lost to the Thunder. With 17 games to go, the Knicks are now 4.5 behind Boston, but they do get to play the boys from Beantown one more time.
It’s unlikely that the defending champs will cede enough ground to allow the Knicks to pass them, but the two teams will likely get a chance to settle it on the court in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics are 3-0 against the Knicks this year, which means Hart and Bridges will have to work some more magic to flip the prevailing narrative that the Knicks can’t hang with the top teams in the league.
The Blazers may not be the Celtics, but Wednesday’s win was a reminder that the Knicks shouldn’t be taken lightly.
