The New York Knicks held on for a 117-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs Christmas Day as Mikal Bridges scored 41 points and outdueled Victor Wembanyama.

When Bridges shot just 2-of-7 from deep on opening night in a blowout loss to the Celtics, concerns escalated about his form even more. Some fans questioned whether the Knicks had given up too much for Bridges in the trade with the rival Nets if he was only going to be, at best, a third option behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau shares his thoughts on the team's star forward Mikal Bridges after their win over the Spurs.

December 26 - Mikal Bridges outdueled Victor Wembanyama in the fourth quarter Wednesday afternoon, when Bridges scored 15 points in the period to lead the host New York Knicks to a 117-114 comeback win over Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Bridges and ...

Mikal Bridges got off to a bit of a slow start in his Knicks career, but the star forward has been making his mark both on and off the court during the holiday season.

Victor Wembanyama scored 42 points with 18 rebounds in Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day — he became the first player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ made 3-pointers and 4+ blocks in a game.

Led by Mikal Bridges, the New York Knicks rallied to beat Victor Wembanyama and the visiting San Antonio Spurs 117-114 on Christmas Day.

• Wembanyama became the third player to score 40-plus points in his Christmas debut, joining Wilt Chamberlain (45, 1959) and Tracy McGrady (43, 2000). • Wembanyama became the first player to amass 40-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, and five-plus 3-pointers on Christmas Day.

Mikal Bridges became just the third Knicks player ever to score 40+ points on Christmas Day with his effort against the Spurs.

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

Bridges entered Wednesday with down offensive counting stats across the board—an especially alarming trend considering he's played a league-leading 38 minutes per game. However, the Villanova product showed that he would have a key role to play in any sustained Knicks postseason run.