Orlando Magic @ Brooklyn Nets
Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY | Game ID: 22300282
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
BKN 43 30 25 31 129ORL 22 29 34 16 101
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Bridges scores 42 points, 26 in first quarter, as Nets snap Magic's nine-game winning streak
NEW YORK -- — Mikal Bridges scored 42 points, including 26 in the first quarter, and the Brooklyn Nets snapped the Orlando Magic’s nine-game winning streak with a 129-101 victory Saturday night.
The Magic were hoping for the first 10-game winning streak in franchise history but had little hope after Bridges outscored them by himself as the Nets ran out to a 43-22 lead after 12 minutes.
Bridges wanted to set the tone following a home loss to Charlotte on Thursday in which Brooklyn allowed 73 first-half points, including a Hornets franchise-record 42 in the second quarter.
"I was ready to play. Just didn’t like that loss against Charlotte … Just wanted to win the game,” he said.
It was the Magic’s first loss since Nov. 14, when the Nets beat them 124-104 in their previous trip to Barclays Center.
Bridges shot 12 for 20 from the field and 15 for 18 from the free throw line, falling three points shy of his career high. Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn sensed Bridges was ready for a good performance due the frustration they both harbored from the Hornets loss.
“I have always talked about one of the things that make him special is his will to win," Vaughn said, “and at the end of the day it takes a lot to get yourself ready to play and do the things necessary to win.”
Spencer Dinwiddie added 22 points, Cam Thomas had 20 and Dennis Smith Jr . finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who have won four of their last five games.
Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony each scored 20 points, while Paolo Banchero had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic.
“I think you can’t overlook it,” Banchero said of the winning streak ending. “I think it’s something to be proud of as a team and everyone in the locker room is. But we also understand that we have a chance to bounce back and we go on another streak.”
Brooklyn led by as many as 25 points in the first half, but the Magic trimmed the lead to single digits in the third quarter on a layup by Moritz Wagner that made it 89-80 with 2:37 left.
Dinwiddie answered by outscoring the Magic 9-5 to extend the Nets’ lead to 98-85 heading into the final quarter.
Bridges put Brooklyn back up by 20 with a three-point play that made it 114-94 with 4:24 left. He missed his next shot, a 3-pointer that would have tied his career high of 45 points, which he equaled in a loss at Atlanta on Nov. 22.
“Everybody wants to see him do his thing. Everybody wanted him to get 50 tonight,” Smith said.
Bridges had 34 points in the first half to help Brooklyn take a 73-51 lead at the break. The Nets shot 50% from the field and 8 for 18 beyond the 3-point line.
He was 8 for 11 in the first quarter. Bridges’ 26 points were the most in the opening period of an NBA game since the 2021-22 season, when Dallas’ Luka Doncic had 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
BKNCJ C. Johnson
CT C. Thomas
DS D. Sharpe
DS D. Smith Jr.
MB M. Bridges
NC N. Claxton
RO R. O'Neale
SD S. Dinwiddie
TW T. Watford
ORLAB A. Black
AS A. Schofield
CA C. Anthony
CH C. Houstan
CO C. Okeke
FW F. Wagner
GB G. Bitadze
GH G. Harris
JI J. Ingles
JS J. Suggs
MW M. Wagner
PB P. Banchero
BKN/ORL the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur