Mikal Bridges scored 38 points as the host Brooklyn Nets overcame a sluggish start and earned a pivotal 114-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday afternoon in New York.
Bridges helped the Nets move within two games of the 10th-place Hawks for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn also won three of four from Atlanta to secure the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Bridges scored 15 in Brooklyn's 39-point second quarter to help the Nets get close by halftime. He then hit four key shots during Brooklyn's decisive run in the third quarter before helping the Nets finish it off in the fourth.
Bridges shot 14-for-26 and made five of Brooklyn's 15 3-pointers.
Cameron Johnson added 23 points as the Nets shot 46.6 percent. Dennis Schroder added 14 and eight assists while Nic Claxton contributed 12 points and 13 boards as the Nets withstood the absences of Cam Thomas (ankle) and Ben Simmons (leg).
Saddiq Bey scored 23 as the Hawks fell to 2-2 since losing Trae Young to an injured left pinky that required surgery and will keep the star out for four weeks. Dejounte Murray added 20 and 11 assists as the Hawks shot 42.5 percent.
Atlanta held the Nets to 25.9 percent shooting and held a 28-21 lead through the first quarter. De'Andre Hunter's corner trey pushed Atlanta's lead to 54-44 with 4:13 left but the Hawks were outscored 16-8 the rest of the half and settled for a 62-60 halftime advantage.
Bridges hit three shots as Brooklyn scored 10 straight points and took a 70-64 lead on Claxton's hook shot with 7:42 left. The run extended to 15-2 as Bridges' drive made it 75-66 with 6:24 left and Brooklyn took a 90-80 lead into the fourth after Bridges hit a layup with 26.9 seconds left.
After a frigid start to the fourth, Claxton's second dunk of the quarter gave the Nets a 96-83 lead with 7:42 left. Bridges then converted a four-point play on the next possession for a 100-85 lead and his basket made it 104-90 with 4:57 left.
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