Knicks beat writers clash over Mikal Bridges report, then quickly call a truce

Things got a little heated on Knicks Twitter. Then they didn’t.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post took issue with a piece from Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, specifically the characterization of Mikal Bridges following a tough loss.

That came after New York fell to Atlanta by a point on Friday, leaving the No. 3 seed Knicks trailing the No. 6 seed Hawks, 2-1, in the first-round series.

Winfield wrote that Bridges was “holding back tears” in the locker room, part of a broader scene that painted a shaken Knicks team after a brutal defeat.

Bondy wasn’t buying it.

“You reported something incorrect, Kristian. Or maybe you just made it up,” Bondy wrote on X, adding that his stance was backed by “multiple witnesses and a video.”

That’s when it escalated.

Winfield pushed back, saying he never used the word “cry” and stood by his observation. He also suggested Bondy’s post pinned the Knicks’ playoff struggles unfairly on Bridges. At one point, Winfield fired off multiple responses. At least one was later deleted.

Then, just as quickly, it cooled off.

Winfield said he spoke directly with Bondy, calling his original shot “unfair” and issuing an apology while still defending his reporting instincts. Bondy’s final response? A simple fist emoji.

So, yes, the two hashed it out. privately. Then publicly.

Still, for a brief moment, Knicks Twitter had it all. Locker room drama. Media pushback. And a reminder that sometimes, the tension doesn’t stay in the locker room.

Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta (6 p.m. EST).