The celebrities is likely to be gone, however Brooklyn’s future is trying shiny.
The Nets bought an enormous win over the Warmth of their remaining recreation earlier than the All-Star break due to a spectacular efficiency from Mikal Bridges.
He had a career-high 45 factors on 17-of-24 capturing and added eight rebounds, 5 assists, two steals and two blocks.
One in every of his finest performs got here within the fourth when he drove into the paint towards Jimmy Butler and made an off-balance shot whereas being fouled.
The Nets (34-24, fifth in Japanese Convention) acquired Bridges as a part of the Kevin Durant commerce final Thursday and the previous Solar was the very best participant on the court docket Wednesday evening in Brooklyn’s 116-105 win over Miami (32-27, seventh in Japanese Convention).
The workforce additionally acquired Cameron Johnson within the Durant deal and added Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith within the Kyrie Irving commerce to Dallas.
Regardless that the Nets turned more and more extra likable — and deeper — once they jettisoned Irving and Durant inside days of one another final week, their probabilities of successful an NBA championship vastly decreased.
Whereas not severe title contenders, a efficiency just like the one Bridges had on Wednesday exhibits Brooklyn will stay related within the playoff race this 12 months. It additionally provides the franchise a robust constructing block because it tries to keep away from a whole teardown.
Every week in the past, issues regarded bleak for the Nets. Fortunately, Brooklyn has Bridges to recover from these troubled waters.
