The NBA's age-old adage goes, “It's a make-or-miss league.” Mikal Bridges has been on the wrong end of that saying of late, and the result has been a 1-5 stretch for the Brooklyn Nets.

Bridges is averaging 16.3 points per game on 31.9 percent shooting during that span. After a disappointing five-game West Coast trip, the 27-year-old had an opportunity to right the ship when Brooklyn returned home Wednesday to face the crosstown rival New York Knicks. However, he shot 4-of-21 from the field and 1-of-8 from three with two assists and three turnovers during a 121-102 blowout loss.

Following the letdown performance, Bridges' longtime teammate Cam Johnson was asked about the mentality needed to break out of such a slump.

“Keep shooting, and don’t listen to other people. That’s it,” he replied. “People say all types of stuff; don’t listen to them. Focus on what you do and believe in yourself. At the end of the day, it’s gonna come back around.”

Nets still confident in Mikal Bridges

Bridges' sample of work with the Nets inspires confidence that the recent stretch is an aberration. The shooting slump follows a nine-game run in which he averaged 26.8 points on 54/54/88 shooting splits. In 30 games following his trade to Brooklyn last season, he averaged 27.7 points on 47/38/89 shooting splits.

After a slow start from three early this year, Bridges has shot 37.5 percent from deep on 6.5 attempts per game through the six-game cold stretch. Surprisingly, it's been the mid-range, Bridges' usual area of strength, where he has struggled the most. During the slump, the second-year Net has shot 9-of-31 (29.0 percent) from within nine feet.

He had shot 89-of-147 (60.5 percent) from that range over 21 appearances prior.

“I feel like I’m just missing good looks,” Bridges said Wednesday. “I’m getting to spots. The ones I’m missing, I’m getting there. Other ones, it goes as a miss where I think I’m getting fouled.”

“It’s just tough, I don’t want to miss, I want to make every single one. It’s just tough right now. Just gotta get ready for the next one and keep shooting the ones I like.”

Head coach Jacque Vaughn had no reservations about Bridges returning to his accustomed level of play following the Knicks loss.

“It's just the ebb and flow of the season,” the coach said. “At the end of this thing, I'm quite sure his averages will be where they're supposed to be, and he'll be an impactful player like he's been the majority of this season. You just go through little patches where the ball isn't going in for you.”

“I have full confidence that Mikal will get his body and mind right and be ready to go next game, and our group will also. This is a great challenge for us this time of the year.”

The 1-5 stretch has dropped the Nets to 13-14 on the season. Bridges will have a chance to get back on track at home Friday against the Denver Nuggets before back-to-back matchups with the reeling Detroit Pistons.