Mikal Bridges, Knicks Survive Wizards' 2nd Half Curse

Finally set to stage a somewhat-lengthy homestand, the New York Knicks made sure the opener was, at the very least, entertaining.

Part one of a three-game defense of Madison Square Garden was perhaps more thrilling than it should've been, but the Knicks nonetheless escaped from New York with a 122-103 win over the lowly Washington Wizards. Saturday's game was won without both Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride, each of whom sat out due to injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 31 points and 11 rebounds while Mikal Bridges helped the Knicks build a massive lead by scoring 20 of his 27 points in the second quarter.

New York (44-26) led by as much as 33 thanks in part to the Bridges burst but was forced to deal with a surprisingly furious challenge from the eliminated Wizards, owners of the NBA's worst record. Washington (15-55) whittled the Knicks led all the way to four at the onset of the fourth quarter but one final flurry fatefully vanquished the Wizards and allowed Manhattan to return to the win column after a disappointing road trip in San Antonio and Charlotte.

After a week of brutal starts, which saw them lose their last three opening periods by a combined 28 points, the Knicks established themselves early on thanks to the starting lineup entrance of Cameron Payne. In his second start of the season, Payne put in 10 points, four assists, and three rebounds during the first dozen, playing a role in 21 of the Knicks' points en route to a 31-21 lead.

Another substitute, rookie Tyler Kolek, took advantage of both Bridges' explosion and inflated minutes brought about Brunson and McBride's absences. Kolek dished out seven assists in the second period alone and the eight he finished with were the most by a Knicks freshman since McBride had nine in December 2021.

Bridges earned his tally without a trip to the foul line, going 8-of-10 from the field and become the third Knicks to go perfect from deep in a single period with a minimum of four tries (Brunson, Josh Hart).

Such antics put the Knicks up by 25 at intermission and it took just over a minute for the advantage to reach a third decade. OG Anunoby free throws put the Knicks up by 33—setting the stage for an averted metropolitan nightmare.

Mar 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is fouled by Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) while rebounding during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Wizards' comeback began innocently enough, as a quick five points from Alex Sarr and AJ Johnson led to a Knicks timeout. An impressive bench output, which saw four reserves unite for 17 points (on 7-of-8 shooting), shrank the gap to 16 before the period let out.

The revival officially became a problem when Washington scored the first seven points of the fourth and needed but 96 seconds to do so. It became a 12-0 run, one assisted by several Knick turnovers, when Colby Jones turned an interception of a Bridges pass into a Johnson dunk and Marcus Smart sank a three-pointer.

But Payne put his only points beyond the first to good use, sinking a triple after Smart's tally to help start restoring New York sanity. That tipped off a run of nine in a row for the Knicks and eventually yielded a 30-15 advantage that closed out regulation. Towns' tally gave him his 17th game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds this season, becoming just the third New Yorker to have that many (Bob McAdoo, Patrick Ewing).

Officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier last week, the Wizards endured their fourth and consecutive loss and second straight season sweep at the hands of the Knicks. Jordan Poole led the way with 25 points while Smart had 17 off the bench. Rookie Kyshawn George also put in a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in defeat.

The Knicks' homestand continues on Tuesday when the Dallas Mavericks come to visit (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). It'll mark the first time that the Knicks play consecutive home games this in month.

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