Mikal Bridges finds solace in front of a television screen: a game controller gripped by his gangly fingers, a headset sitting on his waves and his best friend in the NBA in his ear. For months, Bridges and Knicks teammate Cam Payne had been playing the recently resurrected College Football 25.

A crushing defeat often leads to controversy, finger-pointing, or a flood of excuses. But after the Knicks’ blowout Game 5 loss to the Celtics, one star chose a different path. Mikal Bridges’ candid postgame remarks offered a revealing glimpse into the team’s mindset — and what really went wrong in Boston.

BOSTON — The Knicks entered the postseason with a game plan that only a few would admit to, but some in the locker room later acknowledged — hang close until the final minutes and then watch as the magic begins. The magic? Jalen Brunson showing time and time again why he is referred to as "Captain Clutch" just as much as he is his given name.