Mikal Bridges ready to raise his game in playoffs for Knicks — again

One by one, Knicks participant after Knicks participant echoed the identical sentiment — they are going to be judged on what comes subsequent, not on the common season.

Those rings true for Mikal Bridges as a lot as anybody.

Last yr, his largely underwhelming common season was largely forgotten when he made a few of the greatest performs through the Knicks’ playoff run.

There was the steal on Jaylen Brown in the final seconds of extra time to sign Game 1 of the second spherical towards the Celtics.

There was the steal on Jayson Tatum in the ultimate seconds to sign Game 2 of that sequence.

There was his game-tying tip-in with 35.1 seconds left in Game 6 of the primary spherical towards the Pistons, a game in which he scored 25 factors.

“Playoffs are fun and real amped up and a lot of aggression, a lot of thinking,” Bridges advised The Post earlier this month. “It’s just fun being in those games. The crowd and everything just goes up another level. So it’s always fun playing playoff games. Just to do whatever it takes trying to win.”

Does he really feel like he raises his game in the postseason?

“I would want to,” Bridges mentioned. “I feel like every player would want to. I just try to be the best I can be and try to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”

Bridges is on the receiving finish of extra criticism than anybody on the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns might be a detailed second, however Bridges tops the checklist, given the 5 first-round picks the Knicks traded to get him.

His regular-season output — offensively, not less than — has not matched that commerce haul. But he is been vocal about sacrificing offensively for the betterment of the group.

It’s one thing that Josh Hart voiced help for to The Post, claiming that Bridges may rating extra if he received extra pictures, however that is not what he is been requested to do.

Coach Mike Brown has been clear in the offensive hierarchy — Jalen Brunson first, Karl-Anthony Towns second, everyone else after that. And often it is OG Anunoby coming in third, in order that makes Bridges the fourth choice.

If that is what you evaluate him to — the totally different fourth choices across the league — reasonably than his commerce compensation, his output appears a lot stronger.

“Sacrifice for your brothers,” Bridges mentioned after follow Friday. “…Putting your body on the line, doing whatever it takes to make the play to help your teammates out.”

Fourth choice or not, Bridges has proven the flexibility to make game-changing performs no matter how he performs beforehand. On a veteran Knicks group, he has as a lot playoff expertise as anybody.

“That’s kind of what I’ve known,” Bridges mentioned. “It’s kind of my DNA.”