Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State's 68-65 win over Purdue

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives his initial thoughts on the Spartans' 68-65 win over Purdue Saturday at Breslin Center.

1. Miles Bridges came back to MSU to deliver like this

EAST LANSING — This win over Purdue should go down as the seminal game so far in Miles Bridges’ MSU career. He’s scored more points in other games. Never in this setting. Never this crucial. 

He hit big jump shot after big jump shot in the second half and then hit the biggest shot of the season — check that — of his career: a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2.7 seconds left to put the Spartans ahead 68-65, and to give them a victory they sorely needed for so many reasons. 

Bridges came back to MSU to win championships. On the day he announced his return, he became a legend of sorts. But for that to last, he had to deliver on the court. Not numbers. Wins. Big Wins. And championships. 

This qualifies as an enormous win and a shot by Bridges that won’t be forgotten. It puts MSU firmly in the Big Ten championship race. It keeps the Spartans hopes alive for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. As much as anything, it gives MSU’s players back a swagger they had lost. They can feel elite again. This gives the season and this team a chance to take off again.

Bridges shot the ball fearlessly Saturday, finishing with 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting. He may not yet be a complete player, but there can’t be any doubt that he’s a clutch player. That sort of shot for this sort of win will give this team unwavering confidence in its star and its star confidence that he can get this thing done.

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2. MSU’s best five wasn’t what you’d expect

Cassius Winston, Bridges, Matt McQuaid, Kenny Goins and Gavin Schilling — that’s the five that won this game for MSU.

In a game of matchups, possessions, confidence and sweat equity, this was MSU’s best five against Purdue. It’s easy to get caught up in all that Nick Ward can do offensively, in Jaren Jackson’s length and tantalizing game, in Joshua Langford’s midrange game. But MSU, collectively, was at its best on both ends with this unexpected crew.

And, individually, those role players rose up — notably two juniors and a fifth-year senior. Schilling, on ball screens and straight up against Purdue big man Isaac Haas, offered the best resistance. McQuaid hit several huge 3-pointers during a critical stretch. Goins played the most complete and important game of his career — his game-tying jumper in the final minute might have been the difference between winning and losing, before Bridges’ shot.

MSU’s starting five comes with a lot of oomph and star power. Kudos to Tom Izzo and his staff for finding the lineup that worked against the best team MSU has played and sticking with it.

3. It’s gotta be Cassius’ world, turnovers be damned

I feel like I’ve written it a zillion times over the last few months, beginning before the season — Winston holds the keys to MSU’s season. At this point, 10 days into February, it’s clear that means living with some turnovers. At this point, so be it.

MSU will only go anywhere if Winston is on the court more often than not. It’s up to Winston to show up every night with enough focus to warrant it. If he doesn’t, MSU is in trouble anyway.

Winston played 18 minutes in the second half Saturday. That swung the game MSU’s way, gave the Spartans a chance after Purdue was clearly the better team in the first half.

Izzo loves to use his bench. Too much so sometimes. But his way has gotten him a long way. Winston allows Izzo to use his bench without costly consequences — because Winston can create offense out of nearly any lineup. Case in point, his drive and dish to Goins for the game-tying score, 55-55, in a game that hadn’t been otherwise tied since 2-2, and his dish to Goins for an open jumper to tie the game at 65-65 in the final minute. Tum Tum Nairn doesn’t create either of those buckets for Goins.

If Winston is on the floor, MSU usually has at least three scorers anyway. The difference between Nairn and Winston isn’t just the difference between those two, it’s what it does to the overall offensive attack and percentage of players capable of getting buckets.

We know all this. But it’s important to reiterate because it’s going to determine so much of MSU’s remaining season. It did Saturday.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.