After returning from a suspension due to pleading no contest to charges related to domestic violence, Miles Bridges made his season debut with the Charlotte Hornets on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Fans cheered as he entered his first game in over 500 days and gave him a warm embrace. He finished with 17 points in 33 minutes.
Charlotte lost the game 130-99, but gained a valuable piece to the franchise as the team continues to grow and develop. Bridges was only supposed to play around 28 minutes, but an injury to Nick Richards and early foul trouble to Brandon Miller thrusted him on the floor.
LaMelo Ball isn't surprised at all by Bridges' debut
LaMelo Ball finished with 37 points, which led both teams. It was a relief for him to have Bridges back on the court with him and shoulder some of that scoring load. He was just happy to have Bridges back on the floor.
“It’s always great, especially to have him back,” Ball said about playing with Bridges again. “It’s nice to play with him again. Surprised? No. We’ve been hooping in training camp and all that type of stuff, so we’ve been seeing him already and we knew he was straight. …Just all around, for real. Offense and defense, putting everything together. …He usually guards one of the best players on the other team, so that’s a big reason right there. He’s real active with his hands and stuff, so it speaks for itself.”
Bridges was a 20-point scorer the last season he was available, so we all know he's a capable scorer.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford had high praise for Bridges
Steve Clifford only had positive things to say about Bridges despite going over the 28-minute limit he set for him initially.
“He brings energy. He’s very positive with his teammates on the floor. He’s got toughness. He’s a very good competitor,” Clifford said of Bridges. “Those are all intangible things where you need as many guys like that as possible. I don’t think there’s a phase of the game where he doesn’t help you.”
It's safe to say the team as a whole is glad to have Bridges back. He should help the Hornets win some games as they continues to strive for a postseason berth and end a seven-year drought.
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