On that pivotal play, Bridges looked like a cornerback tracking the ball, ripping it from Brown’s hands as soon as he caught the pass. After the game, he was asked how he managed to make that impressive defensive stop and he credited his football knowledge.

Mikal Bridges ' basketball skills were not their best on Monday, so he relied on his football knowledge instead to make the game-saving play in the New York Knicks ' 108-105 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The Knicks were the definition of resilient — they could have rolled over down 20 but didn’t. With a 20-6 run in the second half of the third quarter, New York stormed back to make it a game. Jalen Brunson was doing his own matchup hunting, going at Al Horford, and it worked.