Team USA Had A Surprising Hero In Win Against Italy

When Team USA was being assembled months ago, it became clear that it would feature many up-and-coming NBA stars.

The biggest names in the game, such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and others would sit out while blossoming players would take over the team.

One of those players is Mikal Bridges, who just had a strong first season with the Brooklyn Nets.

He was Team USA’s big hero in their massive 100-63 win against Italy.

Bridges was good for 24 points and 7 rebounds on 8-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the three-point line.

To make it more impressive, he did all of that in just 18 minutes.

Mikal Bridges today:

24 PTS
7 REB
8-11 FG
4-6 3P

In just 18 minutes. pic.twitter.com/RaKagOUZgT

— League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) September 5, 2023

His 24 points led Team USA.

The second-best scorer for the team was Tyrese Haliburton, who put up 18 points off the bench.

In fact, no other starter was in double digits.

Seeing Bridges score 24 points isn’t really surprising at all if you have been paying attention to him.

For years, he was one of the most reliable stars for the Phoenix Suns.

In four out of his five seasons with Phoenix, he led the entire league in the number of games played.

Bridges is always ready to perform.

He was a supporting star in Phoenix but he’s been upgraded to an A-lister with the Nets.

In his short, 27-game stint in Brooklyn, Bridges has averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

There are now plenty of people who believe that Bridges could be the future of the Nets.

Some people questioned Team USA’s decision to invest in a group of role players instead of well-known and well-tested All-Stars.

But Bridges is proving that they made the right choice.

NEXT: 
Former Teammate Says Kyrie Irving Wants To Play A Different Position