No Kevin Durant, no problem. At least this was the case on Wednesday night for the Brooklyn Nets as they took down the Miami Heat, 116-105. This came behind the heroics of new Nets recruit Mikal Bridges, who absolutely went off for a career-high 45 points in just his third game for his new team.

Bridges arrived in Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade that saw KD take his talents to the Phoenix Suns. The Nets haven't won a game since that trade. Well, that all changed on Wednesday as Brooklyn marked their first victory in the post-KD era thanks to Bridges' mind-blowing performance.

Bridges' 45-point outing now has him sitting alongside Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Cam Thomas as the four players who have eclipsed the 45-point mark for the Nets this season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that's the most number of individuals who have scored this many points for a single team in the same season.

Bridges' explosion against the Heat did not only lead to the Nets' first win after the trade, but also marked a new day for this squad. It's never easy to say goodbye to a generational talent such as Kevin Durant (and let's not forget about Kyrie, too), but there's no denying that Mikal Bridges' strong play will help soften the blow.

It will be very interesting to see how Bridges plays the rest of the season for the Nets. He pretty much has the keys to the franchise right now, and he could very well emerge as the cornerstone star of this squad for years to come.