Mikal Bridges kept his message simple following the New York Knicks’ 121-113 Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics: “Just the will to win.”
After the Knicks rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a commanding 3–1 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Bridges reflected on the key factors behind the comeback.
Speaking during the postgame press conference, the 28-year-old guard pointed to defensive adjustments and mental toughness.
“Early on, I don’t think so,” Bridges said when asked if their defense was clicking at the start. “A lot of miscommunication, transition… Derrick White getting a lot of looks.”
The Celtics led by double digits at halftime, but New York outscored Boston 37–23 in the third quarter and never trailed again.
Bridges credited the team’s focus coming out of halftime: “Just keep fighting. We’ve been down way worse before… Just stay the course, one possession at a time.”
Jalen Brunson powered the third-quarter turnaround with 18 of his 39 points, drawing praise from Bridges for his poise.
“He just wants to win, man,” said Bridges. “He turns it up another level because he doesn’t want to lose.”
When asked about his own clutch play down the stretch, Bridges was blunt: “Just trying to fight to win, honestly. Doing whatever it takes.”
The Knicks’ chemistry was a recurring theme throughout the postgame availability, with Bridges highlighting the time it took for the newly constructed roster to find cohesion.
“JB, Josh, OG—those guys been here,” Bridges said. “But with me and KAT coming in, and Cam—it’s kind of like a new team… It just took some time.”
Despite Boston’s dominant regular season against New York, the Knicks have now won three of four in the postseason and are one win away from their first conference finals since 2000.
Bridges’ comments reflected a team not satisfied with the current lead.
“We just got to communicate better,” he said of the early defensive lapses. “Don’t let them get up a lead even higher.”
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night at TD Garden, where the defending champions face elimination.
