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Mikal Bridges had two 30-point games with Suns, has nine already with Nets

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated27 Mar 2023

Mikal Bridges had two 30-point games with Suns, has nine already with Nets

Mikal Bridges scored 30 or more points just twice with the Phoenix Suns through 365 career appearances, and the fifth-year forward has now logged nine 30-point games since the Brooklyn Nets trade.

In 56 starts with Phoenix this season, the 26-year-old averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Plus, he was shooting 46.3% from the floor and 38.7% beyond the arc.

After the Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and five first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027-29) to the Nets, the wing has averaged 26.8 points, 4.6 boards, and 2.6 assists through 20 starts with Brooklyn.

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Since the Nets trade, Mikal Bridges is also shooting 49.6% from the field and 41.2% outside the arc. In Brooklyn’s 116-105 win over the Heat on Feb. 15, the forward scored a career-high 45 points in 37 minutes as a starter.

In addition to amassing eight boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocks, the Villanova product shot 17-of-24 (70.8%) from the floor, drained four 3-pointeres, and finished a perfect 7-of-7 (100%) at the foul line.

Mikal Bridges scored 30 or more points twice with the Phoenix Suns in 365 appearances, has scored 30-plus points in nine games with the Brooklyn Nets

Of course, in the Nets’ 119-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday, the 6-foot-9 wing scored 44 points. It was his second 40-point game of the season and second of his NBA career. Were the Suns holding him back? The Pennsylvania native is a better player on the east coast.

Mikal Bridges needed two more points against Orlando to pass his career high of 45 points. “I really don’t care [about the career-high],” said the Nets forward, who sat out the final 3:49 of regulation. “And I was trying to win. I didn’t care at that point.”

Orlando outscored the Nets 36-26 in the second quarter. “First quarter, we were able to hang around a little bit. We were OK,” Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said. “But to sustain it over the course of the night, to play the way we wanted to play, to defend the way we wanted to play… we just didn’t have it tonight.”

After the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades, Bridges is now officially Brooklyn’s leading scorer. Moreover, the forward’s exceeding expectations after inking a four-year, $90 million deal with Phoenix in 2021. Mikal Bridges is earning $20.1 million this season, $21.7 million next season, $23.3 million in 2024-25, and $24.9 million in 2025-26.

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