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Things seemed to finally be breaking the Brooklyn Nets’ way in Game 3 versus the Philadelphia 76ers. That is before a late Sixers rally was punctuated by a costly Nets turnover with just 6.7 seconds on the clock and Brooklyn trailing by three points – notable circumstances.
“I should have just popped and got the ball,” Nets swingman Mikal Bridges – the intended recipient of an errant inbound pass from teammate Royce O’Neale – said via YES Network’s YouTube channel on April 20. “I was trying to get open and shoot but I should have just popped and got it. And that’s what Royce was doing, and I just let him down. But I should have just popped and got it. That’s all it was. That was the only play honestly, and I just didn’t get there.”
Bridges led all scorers with 26 points, though it was largely a slog to get there with the 26-year-old budding star shooting just 34.6% from the floor. He did, however, can 4-of-7 triples, further exasperating the issue on their penultimate possession.
THE NETS TURN IT OVER AND THE 76ERS LAY IT IN FOR THE COVER 😱
Nets +4.5 ❌
Dorian Finney-Smith left to try a meaningless three-pointer as they trailed by five points and time expiring as Brooklyn fell into the dreaded 3-0 hole which no team in the modern era has ever managed to climb out of, per Land Of Basketball.
Despite the disastrous final play, this game will be most remembered for the antics.
Both Nic Claxton and James Harden were ejected while Joel Embiid was hit with a technical that has caused some confusion amongst the Nets. Bridges said he did not see the first fracas between Claxton and Embiid, nor was he concerned with trying to do the officials’ job.
But he did acknowledge that his teammate was “playing a hell of a game” when he was tossed less than four minutes into the fourth quarter.
Nic Claxton EJECTED for taunting after dunk on Embiid 😳
“Emotions get the best out of us,” Bridges said.
Mikal Bridges Reacts to Cam Thomas’ Minutes
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn switched things up and inserted second-year guard Cam Thomas into his rotations during meaningful moments of the first half of this game after seeing fewer than five minutes in Game 1 and being a DNP-CD for Game 2.
Vaughn has explained the lack of playing time for the dynamite scorer as a logistics issue given the Nets’ current roster.
“Came in got some buckets,” Bridges said of Thomas who finished with six points on 3-of-6 shooting (0-for2 3P) with one assist, and one rebound. “Just out there just playing hard. That’s all we want for him – to go out there play hard, and score. He scored some points while he was out there and just playing as hard as he can. It’s tough with limited minutes but I think he did a good job just playing hard and trying to win.”
Mikal Bridges on Tyrese Maxey: ‘He’s Been That All Season’
After Harden was ejected for hitting O’Neale in the groin area, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey took over for the second game in a row scoring 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter with the former Nets star in the locker room.
“He’s been that all season,” Bridges said of Maxey. “Even before he got hurt he was playing really well.
“That makes them a good team. They just don’t got a couple guys that just going to win them games. They got a lot of guys that go out there and hoop. Pretty good team so, they just got guys. Kudos to him.”
Brooklyn will look to stave off elimination in Game 4 on April 22.
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Mikal Bridges Gets Honest About Royce O’Neale, Costly Play