This time, Bridges doesn't want to step into the same river twice.

With a 2-0 lead in the Finals, Knicks fans are already ecstatic about winning the title, but only Mikal Bridges fully understands that this means absolutely nothing. Five years earlier, he experienced a 2-0 Finals lead that slipped away, costing him the championship.

In that Finals five years ago, the Suns went up 2-0 against the Bucks and then lost four straight games, which was the nearest Paul ever came to a ring. Many fans blamed the loss on Booker and Paul competing for Finals MVP, but the real reasons were that Giannis dominated the Suns' interior, Paul was completely contained by Holiday, and Booker couldn't effectively run the offense.

Overall, that Suns team was too inexperienced, and there was a gap in star power. Booker hadn't fully matured, while Ayton and Bridges were still on rookie contracts. In that Finals, a third-year Bridges averaged 12 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting 42.9% from three—pretty impressive numbers.

At that time, Bridges was already an elite 3-and-D wing, and he signed a four-year, $90 million extension in the offseason—a deal that still looks like a bargain. Naturally, his outstanding performance made him a key asset in the trade that sent him to Phoenix for Durant.

Looking back, that trade by the Suns was undoubtedly a failure—too impatient. Simply stacking stars doesn't guarantee immediate success. The Suns' 2021 Finals run may well be the franchise's brightest moment for a long time.

After joining the Nets, Bridges received star treatment and put up impressive numbers. Brooklyn then sold him to their crosstown rivals, the Knicks, for a staggering five first-round picks.

With the Knicks, Bridges' performance has had ups and downs, but reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season and going even further this year proves that while the Knicks paid a heavy price, the return has been equally rewarding. I can still vividly recall how Bridges locked down the Celtics' two stars in the final moments of the first two games of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals—a natural-born clutch defender.

In this year's playoffs, Bridges' first five games of the first round were disastrous, averaging 7.2 points on 27% three-point shooting. His playing time kept shrinking, and in Game 4, he was even benched during crunch time. Suddenly, the "five first-round picks" Bridges became the target of widespread criticism.

But starting from Game 6 of the first round, when the Knicks routed the Hawks, Bridges rediscovered his former self. He scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting that game. In the second-round sweep of the 76ers, he averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals, shooting an astonishing 63.8% from the field and 38.5% from three.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, also a sweep over the Cavaliers, Bridges averaged 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals, with his overall field-goal percentage still at a high 57.4%. His three-point shooting fluctuated, but his mid-range percentage was remarkably high.

In Game 2 of the Finals, Bridges made eight consecutive shots in the second and third quarters—four mid-range jumpers and four three-pointers—missing against any defender. Of course, compared to his shooting, his defense is his foundation.

Over the first two Finals games, Bridges, as the primary defender, held Fox, Castle, and Vassell of the Spurs to 2-of-15 shooting and forced four turnovers. An elite 3-and-D player remains an elite 3-and-D player.

Since Bridges regained his hot hand, the Knicks haven't lost a single game, winning 13 straight. But Bridges remains level-headed, even though he's just two wins away from the championship.

He said: "I'll never forget that we (the Suns) lost four in a row. Everyone knows the series is far from over. We have to keep that do-or-die mentality and want it more than the opponent… No matter what, until it's all settled, the score is always 0-0."

As the saying goes, "Once bitten, twice shy." Having experienced the painful "so close yet so far" feeling, Bridges refuses to let his guard down even a little. Every player on the Knicks has a compelling story on their own, and each has their own reason to win. There's no need to worry that they'll lose focus in the face of success.

Additionally, Bridges has played in 638 consecutive regular-season games; including playoffs, that number rises to 711. With his ironman durability and elite 3-and-D skills, five first-round picks were not an overpay at all.