The New York Knicks got their second consecutive road win Wednesday night, and in dramatic fashion. They were trailing by two with 3.4 seconds remaining in overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers when Mikal Bridges inbounded to teammate Josh Hart. He then took a handoff and sprinted to the top of the key, getting his shot off over the outstretched hand of 7-foot-2 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 113-114 victory moved the Knicks to 42-23 this season.
The win, combined with Tuesday’s 29-point beat down of the Sacramento Kings, got New York back to .500 on their current road trip that ends Saturday at Golden State. But it probably wouldn’t have happened if not for a keen bit of observation from Hart.
The shooting guard described after the game that he had noticed Clingan was playing in drop coverage before that final inbounds play. Hart immediately gave Bridges 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,” revealed Hart.
Meanwhile, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups regretted keeping Clingan on the court for the final play.
“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,” said Billups.
MIKAL BRIDGES, ARE YOU SERIOUS!!?
33 POINTS AND THE GAME-WINNING TREY pic.twitter.com/7iubWATP1Q
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 13, 2025
Clingan did everything he could to get a hand in Bridges’ face. But it wasn’t enough as the Knicks earned a hard-fought and possibly momentum-swinging win.
This win could pump up the Knicks
The Knicks have been a bit up and down lately. They just recently lost three straight games to the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and LA Clippers. But before that, they won three in a row against the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Miami Heat.
The win against the Blazers also allowed the Knicks to keep their faint hopes for the 2-seed in the East alive. 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 once more.
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. That 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.
