Mar 12, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; New York Knicks small forward Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates with point guard Miles McBride (2) after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Knicks’ Mikal Bridges Secures Wild Game-Winning Stat

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Maggliocchetti | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It was deja vu all over again for New York Knicks star Mikal Bridges in the sweetest way possible on Wednesday night in the Pacific Northwest.

The annual interconference clash between the Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers produced one of the most thrilling games of the 2024-25 NBA season to date, with the former prevailing by a 114-113 overtime final thanks to Bridges' heroic three-point heave as time expired.

Bridges' triple gave way to the 42nd and final lead change of Wednesday's game, the most in any game this season and the second-most in NBA history since such data started being collected in 1996. Only a December 2023 clash between the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks had more, besting the Knicks and Blazers' output by one.

Fun fact: there were 42 lead changes in Knicks/Blazers last night, the second most in a game since play-by-play tracking began in 1996-97.

The most? 43 lead changes in Nets/Hawks in December 2023. Mikal Bridges made a game-winner in that one too! pic.twitter.com/aV0YJdOGY5
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) March 13, 2025

The game-winner of a 114-113 final was sunk by none other than Mikal Bridges, then repping a different borough but proving equally clutch for New York City hoops.

Bridges' Wednesday winner thus may go down as one of the most serendipitous sinks in NBA history and came at a perfect time: not only did Bridges help the Knicks (42-23) secure a much-needed victory sans superstar Jalen Brunson but it came after he was the headliner in a mini-metropolitan controversy, one where he reportedly lobbied New York head coach Tom Thibodeau to cut down on the starters' minutes.

His public grievances notwithstanding, Bridges certainly enjoyed the final seconds of Wednesday night's game and his teammates never thought his mind would be cloudy for such an occasion.

“We know ‘Kal. We know where his heart is. So that’s all background noise,” Josh Hart, who provided the game-winning assist on Bridges' winner, remarked in a report from Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We’re all locked into doing what we’ve got to do down the stretch and win games.”

Bridges and Co. will look to keep metropolitan momentum alive on Saturday when this five-game Western swing ends in the Bay Area against the Golden State Warriors (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: