The stars might be gone, but Brooklyn’s future is looking bright.
The Nets got a huge win over the Heat in their final game before the All-Star break thanks to a spectacular performance from Mikal Bridges.
He had a career-high 45 points on 17-of-24 shooting and added eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
One of his best plays came in the fourth when he drove into the paint against Jimmy Butler and made an off-balance shot while being fouled.
The Nets (34-24, fifth in Eastern Conference) acquired Bridges as part of the Kevin Durant trade last Thursday and the former Sun was the best player on the court Wednesday night in Brooklyn’s 116-105 win over Miami (32-27, seventh in Eastern Conference).
The team also acquired Cameron Johnson in the Durant deal and added Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith in the Kyrie Irving trade to Dallas.
Even though the Nets became increasingly more likable — and deeper — when they jettisoned Irving and Durant within days of each other last week, their chances of winning an NBA championship greatly decreased.
While no longer serious title contenders, a performance like the one Bridges had on Wednesday shows Brooklyn will remain relevant in the playoff race this year. It also gives the franchise a strong building block as it tries to avoid a complete teardown.
A week ago, things looked bleak for the Nets. Luckily, Brooklyn has Bridges to get over these troubled waters.
