Knicks Star Lands Top Two Defensive Plays of Season

New York was widely accepted as a sizable underdog against the defending champion Celtics, especially after dropping all four recent regular season meetings. But a pair of comeback victories in the first two games set the stage for an upset, as the Knicks overcame deficits of at least 20 points to build a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set.

Such triumphs were secured by Bridges' defensive work.

When Boston had a chance for one last equalizer amidst a 108-105 lead for the Knicks in the dying stages of Game 1, Bridges yanked the ball away from Jaylen Brown almost immediately after he received the inbounds pass from Derrick White.

The top spot on the NBA's list went to Bridges' immediate encore, when he united with OG Anunoby to reject Jayson Tatum's attempted game-winner in part two. New York then won the series in six games, securing its first Eastern Conference Finals ticket in a quarter-century before bowing out to the Indiana Pacers.

Considering the hefty price, namely a raid of the Knicks' draft pick cabinet, sent to the Brooklyn Nets for Bridges' services, it's fair to say he endured an up-and-down debut in Manhattan. But he was an undeniably strong part in the historic season and recently saw his work rewarded with a nine-figure extension, one seemingly set to keep him in blue and orange through at least 2029.

The Knicks were well-represented in the top 50 as a whole: reserve guard Miles McBride had two entries at Nos. 43 (a rejection of a White fastbreak during the clincher of the Boston series) and 18 (a block of Pascal Siakam during the ECF opener against Indiana) while a block from Anunoby was 15th after an emphatic denial of a Daniel Theis drive in a December win over the New Orleans Pelicans.