A trip to the NBA Finals is hard enough to come by in the NBA, let alone twice.
For the Knicks’ Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, the 2026 NBA Finals are a second opportunity to make right on hauntings from the past.
Learning From a Loss
Both Bridges and Anunoby have reached the NBA Finals before, in 2021 and 2019, respectively.
Mikal Bridges’ Phoenix Suns lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks after going up 2-0. Looking back on the series, he admits that he may have celebrated too early after taking the advantage.
“I remember going up 2-0; I’m ready,” he recalled on the Roomates Show podcast.
“I was like ‘we about to win the chip’ cause – especially in the West, especially then…You know, I thought the West was tougher than the East.”
Bridges was quickly humbled after the Bucks stormed back to capture the NBA title.
“They ran off four straight…I just couldn’t believe it,” he said incredulously.
The Spurs are in the West, the conference Bridges considers to be the tougher of the two. It is unlikely he will underestimate his opponent again this time. The reminder to remain even-keeled and stay in attack mode no matter what is a lesson his Knicks can carry into their showdown with the Spurs.
Bridges has improved his game from that year’s playoff run. In the 2021 postseason, he averaged 11.1 points on 48.4% from the field. Through the first three rounds of the 2026 playoffs, he has averaged 14.6 points while shooting 58.6% overall. He has guarded some of the opposing teams’ best players while remaining an offensive threat.
For Bridges, his advice to his teammates who haven’t been in the Finals before is simple. He saw firsthand the media circus that surrounds the Finals and understands the importance of blocking out all the noise.
“Just worry about being ourselves, stay locked in and go win,” he said.
OG is Finally Healthy for the Finals
Anunoby’s experience in the NBA Finals was different from Bridges’. His Toronto Raptors completed the ultimate mission, defeating the Warriors in six games to win the championship.
Although his squad won the Finals, Anunoby was unable to make an impact. He missed the entire postseason recovering from an appendectomy. The 28-year-old is looking forward to being able to participate in this year’s Finals after watching from the sidelines the last time his team arrived there.
“Grown a lot on and off the court,” he said of how he’s evolved since the Raptors’ championship season. “The first time it was really cool, but it wasn’t the way I would have wanted it. This time, happy to be here, happy to be healthy.”
Anunoby has arguably made a bigger leap than Bridges since the last time each was in the Finals. He started just six games that season as a second-year player, averaging seven points in 20 minutes. This season, he was a starter for the third-best team in the East, averaging 16.7 points.
The largest improvement in his game has come in his shooting from behind the arc. In 2018-19, he shot 33.2% from three; this season, that number has leaped to 38.6%.
Because Anunoby couldn’t partake in the playoff action, he spent the postseason soaking up knowledge. That roster was loaded with All-Star talent, from Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry to emerging players like Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam.
For Anunoby, what has stuck the most with him from the title run is the difficulty of reaching the biggest stage in basketball.
“Getting back is amazing,” he said. “Takes a lot, and I’m really excited.”
Ready for Redemption
The experience of Anunoby and Bridges – whether from playing or watching from the bench – will prove valuable in the Finals. The Knicks have players who have been there before – unlike the Spurs, who feature a roster primarily constructed of guys playing in their first postseason.
Experience isn’t always conducive to winning. But against a loaded, tough-minded team like the Spurs, the Knicks will take every advantage they can get.
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