A day after the Knicks and Nets battled across the East River in Brooklyn, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges all found themselves at Madison Square Garden to watch their alma mater, Villanova, take on St. John’s.
All three played together at the school for two seasons, and Brunson and Bridges played together for a third season in 2017-18.
Brunson and Bridges were spotted seated next to one another on the floor in what ended up being a 70-50 win for the Johnnies at MSG on Wednesday night.
Hart was also seated courtside in a separate section to take in the action.
The sighting of the former Wildcats came one day after the Knicks defeated the Nets and turned Barclays Center into MSG SouthEast.
Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson sit courtside together during the second half. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostBlue-and-orange-clad fans took over the Brooklyn venue, and “Let’s go Knicks” chants roared throughout the arena.
Bridges bemoaned the fact that the game essentially turned into a Knicks home game.
“You could hear in the crowd, felt like a friggin’ away game when they made their run,” Bridges said.
St. John’s Red Storm guard Daniss Jenkins #5 drives down court as Villanova Wildcats guard Hakim Hart #13 gives chase during the second half. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart sits courtside during the second half. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post“I feel like any person in here it’s not fun when you feel like you’re in an away game at home,” Bridges added. “So that’s for any person sitting in here, any person alive.”
The comments were enough for Hart to reach out to Bridges on social media.
“Yo bro @mikal_bridges call me,” Hart wrote on X, quote posting a snippet of Bridges’ comments after the loss.
For one night, it seemed like the rivalry between the Knicks and Nets was put on hold, but the trio surely would have liked to have seen the Wildcats leave MSG on Wednesday with a win.
