Mikal Bridges saves Knicks from Victor Wembanyama in Christmas thriller

On By Littum

For three and a half quarters, Victor Wembanyama played the part of the Grinch to a tee.

The 7-foot-3 wunderkind terrified the Knicks and their fans, threatening to ruin a festive Christmas at the Garden.

One of the newest Knicks, Mikal Bridges, wouldn’t allow it. The former Net made all the big shots late, and the Knicks locked down Wembanyama when it counted, rallying from eight down in the fourth quarter for a thrilling 117-114 holiday victory.

Mikal Bridges reacts after hitting a shot during the Knicks’ win over the Spurs on Dec. 25, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Knicks’ Josh Hart (3) on December 25, 2024. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photos

Bridges has been playing at a high level for a while after some early season struggles, but this was different. This was brilliant. This was clutch. This was Bridges’ first true MSG moment.

Bridges poured in a Knicks career-high 41 points on 17-of-25 shooting, and Josh Hart came up with two offensive rebounds in the clutch in the final seconds to ice the victory.

Wembanyama finished with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

Knicks’ Mikal Bridges (L) and Spurs’ Chris Paul (R) chase a loose ball on Dec. 25, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 20 and nine assists.

Josh Hart had six points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Knicks improved to 20-10 and won for their fifth straight.

Bridges had 15 points in the final quarter and the Knicks, led by OG Anunoby, held Wembanyama scoreless over the final 7:44.

Spurs center Victor Wembanyama gestures during a loss to the Knicks on Dec. 25, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Wembanyama owned the first half and dazzled the crowd with his length, absurd athleticism and ability to play both in the paint and on the rim.

He sank four 3-pointers, grabbed rebounds that seemed way out of his reach and found teammates for dunks.

He scored 24 points, added 11 rebounds and collected four assists in a dynamic opening 24 minutes.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson will pitch against the Spurs on December 25, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The Spurs took a seven-point lead into halftime, and the Knicks felt lucky to be so close.

They missed 15 of their first 16 3-point attempts and were 4 of 21 at halftime.

Bridges carried the load offensively, scoring 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. The other Knicks were 13-of-42 from the field.

Carmelo Anthony (R) and son Kiyan (R) attend the Knicks-Spurs game at MSG on December 25, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Wembanyama entered the day averaging 7.2 disposals in his last four games and while he had just two in the first half, he converted as many.

The Knicks played into his hands by settling for too many long jumpers.

They came out in the third quarter more aggressive and attacked Wembanyama.

Byer led the way and used his body against Wembanyama. In a 15-6 run to start the period, Towns scored 11 points, capping it off with a 3-pointer over the French phenom.

The Knicks ripped off another 12-3 burst to end the third quarter and took advantage of the Spurs in the paint with Wembanyama out.

They took a five-point lead into the final stanza and were dominant in the period, scoring 37 points on 51.8 percent (14-of-27) shooting while Bridges and Brunson combined for 21 points.

However, Spurs responded behind Wembanyama. In an 18-6 run, he scored 11 points, including an alley-oop layup in which he flipped the ball in despite his momentum carrying him under the basket on a pass that was behind him.