Knicks, Mikal Bridges just entered a new phase

Mikal Bridges spent much of this Knicks season before the holidays — too much, probably — as the “but.”

As in, yes, the new-look Knicks are shaping up to be a legit contender with an unreal offense and a defense that’s creeping into the top half of the league, and yes, the Karl-Anthony Towns trade has worked out even better than imagined, but what’s up with Mikal Bridges?

Bridges’ Knicks debut on opening night in Boston was a horror show. There seemed to be something weird going on with his shot. The defense wasn’t all-world, as may have been advertised. He got quasi-benched in Charlotte. And this was the guy who was worth five first-round picks?

If that discredit wasn’t already outdated, it was buried in a merry parade of shotmaking Wednesday afternoon as Bridges scored 41 points to lift the Knicks over the Spurs, 117-114, in a Christmas Day thriller at the Garden.