BOSTON (AP) — Mikal Bridges was considered a defensive star and complementary offensive player in Phoenix before abruptly having his five-year run there ended when he was shipped to Brooklyn as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Suns.
Bridges gave his new team another glimpse of the go-to potential he could grow into.
Bridges scored 38 points and the Nets overcame a 28-point deficit to stun the Boston Celtics 115-105 on Friday night.
He has reached 30 or more points in three of Brooklyn’s last six games. Bridges also had 10 rebounds, playing nearly 43 minutes.
It was Brooklyn’s first victory over Boston in four meetings this season.
Bridges played through pain in the second half after knocking knees with Derrick White, hitting on the same spot he did in a similar collision with Jalen Brunson in Wednesday loss to the Knicks.
Fellow former Sun Cam Johnson added 20 points. Dorian Finney-Smith finished with 17.
It is the largest comeback by a Boston opponent since the Los Angeles Clippers also rallied from 28 down to beat Boston 123-112 at TD Garden on Feb. 9, 2019.
The Celtics have lost two out of three and lost more ground on East-leading Milwaukee, which was idle Friday. Boston, which made 26 3-pointers in a 139-96 win over the Nets on Feb. 1, went just 9 of 30 from beyond the arc on Friday.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 35 points. Jayson Tatum, who was celebrating his 25th birthday, added 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Boston led by 28 in the first half before being outscored 69-43 over the second and third quarters.
The Nets scored just 23 points in the first 16 minutes of the game, allowing Boston to go up 51-23 with 7:23 left in the first half.
It evaporated in a rash of pull up jumpers and one-and-done possesses for the Celtics as Brooklyn mounted a 57-23 run to nudge in front 80-74 with 3:56 in the third quarter. The lead was 106-90 early in the fourth.
During one wild sequence, the Nets secured four offensive rebounds and had five shots on a single possession before the Celtics were finally able to corral the ball, triggering a fast break and layup by Derrick White. It was one of the few highlights for Boston the rest of the way.
The Nets’ frantic rally also saw the Celtics lose big man Robert Williams for the night after he left early in the third with left hamstring tightness.