The Brooklyn Nets probably would prefer to win a game without 43 lead changes but feel reassured Mikal Bridges can deliver winning plays in the final minutes.
After following up a 42-point performance with a game-winning basket, Bridges and the Nets will attempt to go three games over .500 for the first time this season when they host the Washington Wizards on Friday in New York.
Since losing three straight to Miami, Philadelphia and Atlanta Nov. 16-22, the Nets are 5-1 in their past six games. The only thing keeping them from a six-game winning streak was allowing 21 3-pointers in a 129-128 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 30.
Feeling disappointed with the loss to Charlotte, Bridges has significantly helped the Nets to their past two wins. He scored 26 of his 42 in the first quarter of Saturday’s 129-101 rout over the Orlando Magic, then came through immensely down the stretch of a wild 114-113 victory in Atlanta Wednesday.
“When you have that feeling of everybody around you confident in you, you get that extra confidence in yourself,” Bridges said. “So now I just appreciate that I got them on my side and it gets me going.”
Against the Hawks, Bridges scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter when there were 15 lead changes and hit five big shots, including the game-winning jumper with 4.5 seconds left.
“I can literally remember saying to myself, ‘We’re going to get this one,'” Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said. “And so that feels good, that I believe in our group that somehow we were going to figure it out.”
Bridges has scored at least 30 points four times this season and has 14 20-point games, including Nov. 12 when he scored 27 against Washington despite shooting 11-of-29 from the field and missing 12 of 14 3-point tries.
Bridges turned in his latest strong performance in a game when the Nets shot 45.7 percent and improved to 6-2 when shooting 46 percent or lower. He helped defend Trae Young on the game’s final play and the Nets limited the Hawks to 44.7 percent field goal shooting.
Washington is tied with San Antonio for the second-worst record in the NBA and heads to Brooklyn with three straight losses since a 126-107 win at Detroit on Nov. 27. The Wizards have allowed at least 130 points in their past five losses and are coming off a pair of five-point defeats.
After dropping a 130-125 decision at Orlando last Friday, the Wizards gave up 50 points to Joel Embiid and took a 131-126 home loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday in a game with 22 lead changes. Washington allowed at least 130 points for the 10th time and gave up 51.1 percent shooting.
“In general, I thought the effort, the overall intent was better tonight. The defensive disposition was much better,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “So you come up short, but I thought that was somewhat of a bounce-back for us.”
Jordan Poole, who is second on the Wizards with 17.5 points per game, had his most efficient showing by making 10 of 16 shots as Washington scored at least 120 for the fourth straight game and for the fifth time in six games.
Brooklyn is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings and claimed a 102-94 home win on Nov. 12 when it survived blowing a 17-point lead.
–Field Level Media