Mikal says he won’t be slowed down by right shin contusion
Mikal Bridges said on Friday “he’s playing” despite suffering a right shin contusion in the Nets’ 105-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night after accidentally colliding with Jabari Walker and was forced to leave the game. He limped off the court gingerly, spent time on the stationary bike and even went back to the locker room for treatment before returning to the game.
Bridges finished with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss. He was initially listed as probable entering Friday’s game.
“I’ll be alright,” Bridges told reporters in Portland. “[Walker] just ran into my leg.”
Bridges appears to be on track to play on Friday, but nothing is official until the team releases its final injury report and a lot could change between now and then. He has appeared in 432 straight games to start his NBA career, the longest active streak in the NBA.
The 27-year-old, still hunting for his first All-Star nod, has averaged 21.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 40 games this season.
ROOKIE SETBACK
The Nets announced on Thursday that rookie guard Dariq Whitehead has been diagnosed with a left shin stress reaction, and that treatment options are being evaluated. An update will be provided once a recovery plan has been determined.
This becomes the latest setback for Whitehead, the No. 22 pick in 2023. He had surgery on his right foot last summer and has spent most of this season in the G League with Long Island. He has appeared in just two NBA games as a rookie, with his latest appearance with the big club coming in a home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 27. Whitehead was a consensus five-star recruit in high school. While his absence will not impact the Nets’ rotation much, the start of his NBA career has been anything but smooth sailing.
VIBES ARE OFF
Speaking to reporters in the locker room after Wednesday’s loss in Portland, center Nic Claxton detailed how getting swept by the Trail Blazers this season has affected morale in the locker room.
“They’ve been getting cooked and then they come out against us and bear us twice,” Claxton said. “So it’s definitely disheartening. But we just have to stick together. We can’t fall apart. We have to stick together as a group and figure out ways to get wins.”
And Brooklyn’s frustration continues to build with each loss.
“I’m not going to sit here and lie and say the vibes are just immaculate,” Claxton said. “We definitely feel some type of way about taking all these losses. But like I said before, all we can do is just stay positive… Nobody likes losing.”