Mikal Bridges

BROOKLYN -- The new-look Nets got their first win of the post-Kevin Durant era and Brooklyn gets to head into the NBA All-Star break with a win. The Nets.

It was down the stretch in the third quarter that the Nets finally erased a small six-point deficit and swung the game in their favor. “We didn’t allow them to get to their spots, more deflections in the second half, turn them over more in the second half. It was until the second quarter that Thomas finally checked into the game. Thursday marked the third game that Brooklyn had all four of its trade deadline acquisitions on the floor together, while head coach Jacque Vaughn continued to experiment with his lineup. The Nets picked up a gritty 116-105 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night at Barclays Center as Mikal Bridges hit a new career high in points with 45 and Cam Thomas added 19. “They gave me the confidence to go out there and just be aggressive, but man, I want to do all that and win, too.

The Miami Heat paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center Wednesday night. It was the first meeting between the two squads since Kevin Durant's ...

[Box Score: Brooklyn Nets 116, Miami Heat 105](https://www.nba.com/game/mia-vs-bkn-0022200878/box-score#box-score)- NBA [Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 116, Miami Heat 105 (Video)](https://youtu.be/s0uZDtM-S9o)- NBA [Highlights: Mikal Bridges / 45 PTS (Video)](https://youtu.be/Q3Hyy8g7wUI)- NBA [Highlights: Cameron Johnson vs. Bridges led the scoring for the Nets at the break with 17 points, while Simmons out-played Claxton at the center spot, earning 11 minutes to his teammate’s 8. Despite it all, the Nets were in front by a point, 26 to 25, after a deep side-step three from Spencer Dinwiddie in the closing seconds. He had two strong rolls to the basket after stepping onto the floor — laying the ball in on a feed from Bridges and then finding Mikal in the corner for three — but still struggled with illegal screens and general passiveness. is headed to Salt Lake City for the G League equivalent of the G League. The trend continued in the third quarter with more strong play from Miami, but the visiting Heat couldn’t extend their lead past six points. He [Bridges] was in the zone,” Cam Johnson said. Bridges ended up scoring 15 straight, the lead became ten, then twelve. It was the first meeting between the two squads since Kevin Durant’s MCL Sprain in South Beach, which turned out to be the last of his Nets tenure. He did so in his first stint on the floor with multiple self-created mid-range jump shots. The versatile two-way forward showed out with 12 points in the first period on 5-of-6 shooting while also swatting two shots. “They gave me the confidence to go out there and just be aggressive, but man, I want to do all that and win, too.

Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 45 points, including 15 in a row for Brooklyn to break open a game that had been close for 3 1/2 quarters, and the Nets ...

De’Anthony Melton added 18 points, and Tyrese Maxey had 16. Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who moved to an NBA-best 27-4 at home this season. Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Washington continued his hot play with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Mark Williams had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as Charlotte won its second straight game. Doncic and Irving have played alongside each other in two games since Irving was acquired as part of a deal with Brooklyn on Feb. hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. Luka Doncic had 37 points in leading a banged-up Dallas team that was missing guard Kyrie Irving due to lower-back tightness. Derrick White finished with 11 points and six assists. Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and C.J. The Hornets had 12 blocks in all, including five by backup center Nick Richards. Bridges scored 17 points in the final quarter to blow by his previous career best of 34 points. In his third game since coming from Phoenix in the trade for Kevin Durant, Bridges had an electrifying scoring stretch that could even match Durant.

New Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges paid the ultimate tribute to his mom after he exploded for a career-high against the Miami Heat.

It’s definitely a heartwarming moment between Mikal Bridges and his mother. [Brooklyn Nets](/nba/brooklyn-nets) star [Mikal Bridges](/nba/players/ada6096d/mikal-bridges) paid the ultimate tribute to his mom after he exploded for a career-high against the Miami Heat. Then mom and son also hugged it out before Bridges went back to his teammates.

Before Wednesday, the most that Bridges scored in a game in his NBA career was 34 points and on Wednesday, he had it going so much that he surpassed that by 11 ...

Bridges scored a career-high 45 points with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in Wednesday's 116-105 win.

Vaughn said he plans to spend the All-Star break working on the terminology to help the group adjust better. [Spencer Dinwiddie](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/spencer-dinwiddie-huzVN9MOnuJR3hwP/) remains a firm candidate, but Bridges has made a strong case for himself. But for a team that seemed to be searching for solutions as early as Monday, the Nets appear to have found a formula to win. Claxton has been less of a factor offensively since the Durant trade, which Vaughn said is because of the workload he’s had to take on this season. “The coaches, before we walked in, we talked about how, really, Nic and Spencer didn’t have their best nights,” Vaughn said. It might not be the same dose of the same player.” Going into the fourth quarter, the score had been tied 11 times with 10 lead changes, and the Nets led by three. I think overall it was just attitude and the mindset of not letting us go away without a win tonight.” Should the Nets expect Bridges to flirt with 40 points as frequently as Durant did? “The 3s were able to go down for him. “He had the mindset. He added eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks and celebrated by handing his mother, Tyneeha Rivers, his jersey before walking off the floor.

Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 45 points, including 15 in a row for Brooklyn to break open a game that had been close for 3 1/2 quarters, and the Nets ...

De’Anthony Melton added 18 points, and Tyrese Maxey had 16. Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who moved to an NBA-best 27-4 at home this season. Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Washington continued his hot play with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Mark Williams had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as Charlotte won its second straight game. Doncic and Irving have played alongside each other in two games since Irving was acquired as part of a deal with Brooklyn on Feb. hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. Luka Doncic had 37 points in leading a banged-up Dallas team that was missing guard Kyrie Irving due to lower-back tightness. Derrick White finished with 11 points and six assists. Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and C.J. The Hornets had 12 blocks in all, including five by backup center Nick Richards. Bridges scored 17 points in the final quarter to blow by his previous career best of 34 points. In his third game since coming from Phoenix in the trade for Kevin Durant, Bridges had an electrifying scoring stretch that could even match Durant.

There have been four Brooklyn Nets players this season to score at least 40 points this season: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Cameron Thomas and now Mikal ...

In the three games since being traded to the Nets, Bridges is averaging 25 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. That statline makes Bridges just the second player in Nets history to put up at least 45 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. It's ironic that Bridges joins Durant in posting that elite statline, given he was the player Brooklyn coveted the most from Phoenix in the trade that sent K.D. He didn't even take a dribble, and managed to pull off a tough layup that resulted in an and-1 opportunity. In a 116-105 win over the [Miami Heat](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/MIA/miami-heat/) Wednesday night, Bridges dropped a career-high 45 points to show exactly why the Nets coveted him so much in the blockbuster deal that sent Durant to Phoenix. The efficiency with which Bridges got his 45 points is what stands out the most, in that he shot 70.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point territory.