It turns out someone on the New York Knicks is studying Los Angeles Rams defensive film—and that someone is Mikal Bridges.
Following the Knicks’ improbable 108-105 comeback victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics at TD Garden, Bridges emerged as the defining force behind the win. With New York trailing by 20 points, the game appeared all but lost—until Bridges flipped the script in dramatic fashion.
Knicks’ Mikal Bridges Is A Fan Of The Los Angeles Rams, Shouts Out Ahkello Witherspoon
The 6-foot-6 guard made two critical steals in overtime, including one on Jaylen Brown in the final seconds that sealed the game. The effort had some observers likening him to Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner for his ball-tracking instincts. But when asked about the play, Bridges cited a different NFL inspiration.
“Witherspoon. I’m a Rams fan,” Bridges told reporters.
That would be Ahkello Witherspoon, the Rams cornerback known for his playmaking on the perimeter. Witherspoon has notched four interceptions and 23 pass deflections over the last two seasons with L.A., including a career-high 14 breakups in 2023. Clearly, Bridges has been taking notes.
Though Bridges is more widely known for his scoring touch—he averaged 17.6 points per game in his Knicks debut season—his impact in Game 1 of the second-round series against Boston came almost entirely on the defensive end.
In fact, he scored just eight points in 51 minutes, far below his usual offensive output and the standard he set in the first-round series against Detroit, where he tallied two 20-point games during New York’s 4-2 victory.
But in this one, Bridges transformed into the Knicks’ version of a lockdown cornerback. He blocked two shots and recorded three steals, bringing the kind of disruptive defensive energy that helped swing the momentum late.
With the series set to continue on Wednesday, New York will once again lean on Bridges—their own “Witherspoon”—to shadow Brown and keep the champs on edge.
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