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Brooklyn gets another monumental victory against Play-In race rivals Atlanta Hawks
Before Thursday, the Nets were four games behind the tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks. After two games between the teams, the Nets have cut that deficit in half. It was a stellar result for Brooklyn as they continue to find their stride under interim head coach Kevin Ollie.
Mikal Bridges stood out with a 38-point night, breaking out his extended slump. Cameron Johnson had another solid performance with 23 points, while Nic Claxton had a 12-point and 13-rebound double-double. For the Hawks, Saddiq Bey scored 23 points, while Dejounte Murray had 20.
“We want to be a next play team, they went to the next play, and next play after that. They got stops when needed and second half, we just turned up, they got 40 points and zero transition points for them. That’s showing growth in our team and I want us to have a growth mindset, not a survival mindset,” Coach Ollie said after the big win.
Mikal breaks out of his slump
After some games when he missed the easy shots he usually made, Bridges had a massive performance, scoring 38 points on an efficient 14-for-26 from the field. It was a game the former Villanova Wildcat needed since he was having one of his worst slumps of the season.
Mikal is heating up at the right time, considering Brooklyn has continued to stake their claim for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. With Cameron Thomas still dealing with an ankle injury, the Nets need Mikal to step up.
Thankfully, Mikal is not alone, as Cam Johnson was superb in the two-game series against Atlanta. The former North Carolina Tar Heel averaged 26 points across the two games, another strong bounceback from a slump.
Brooklyn has the momentum
With back-to-back wins, the Nets are on track to compete in the Play-In Tournament race. They are peaking at the right time, while Atlanta struggles without All-Star guard Trae Young.
Brooklyn will play against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies next. The Grizzlies are coming off two straight losses to the Trail Blazers, so a good performance from Brooklyn could beat the injury-laden Memphis team.
The schedule is favorable for Brooklyn moving forward, which could fare better for the team since the Nets are looking to dominate and beat the Hawks and Bulls in the race for a spot in the postseason.
