In a meeting of crosstown rivals, the Knicks hung on to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 124-122 in both team's second NBA Cup Group Play matchup on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Josh Hart was traded for one first-round pick. Mikal Bridges, the spotlighted player Friday for the interborough rivalry game, cost the Knicks five.

Karl-Anthony Towns' poor defense has been heavily scrutinized, but Mikal Bridges has been just as big of a problem on that end of the floor.

Mikal Bridges chose to focus on the positives when asked about his first matchup versus his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. The post Knicks Mikal Bridges Gets Honest Ahead of First Matchup vs. Nets appeared first on Heavy.

The Knicks landed Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster deal last summer that sent shockwaves across the NBA. Whether or not he actually forced his way out of Brooklyn, as some reported, is anyone’s guess. The move was designed to further bolster New York’s championship odds.

Bridges was traded from Brooklyn to Manhattan during the offseason in the first deal between the teams since 1983. The Nets received a major haul in return, with six draft picks as the centerpiece of the trade.

Knicks fans were mostly ecstatic. Nets fans were disappointed but understood. The blockbuster trade that sent Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn to Broadway for five first-round draft picks, a second-rounder and a first-round pick swap felt like a seismic move that said a lot about the directions the two franchises were headed.

Friday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden marked the first time the Nets have faced their former star forward, Mikal Bridges, since last summer’s blockbuster deal.

Tom Thibodeau, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges after Knicks fall short of comeback attempt vs Bulls