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

Bridges had the final say by blocking Dennis Schroder’s attempted game-tying layup as time expired. He was mobbed by the Knicks (6-6) while his old team walked away. For Brunson, it was another defining moment in his Knicks tenure to save his team from a near collapse.

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.

Bridges, who the Knicks acquired from the Nets in the summer for a boatload of draft picks, dropped an efficient 22 points in 41 minutes, easing the criticism, though certainly not shutting them up, about his rough start in Manhattan .

Did the New York Knicks overpay when they traded for SF Mikal Bridges? He is averaging (15.3) points per game in nine starts.

Mikal Bridges chose to focus on the positives when asked about his first matchup versus his former team, the Brooklyn Nets.

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.