On Tuesday night, the Knicks maintained bragging rights over their crosstown rival, defeating the Brooklyn Nets in a nail-biter, 99-95, at Barclays Center.
Here are the takeaways…
— For a second straight day, the Knicks provided encouraging updates on two banged-up stars. Karl-Anthony Towns (thumb sprain) and Josh Hart (neck/cervical compression), both listed as probable entering Tuesday, were once again in the starting lineup. Towns and Hart played 37 minutes apiece in Monday’s home win over the Atlanta Hawks.
— New York entered Tuesday ranked third in the NBA in field goal percentage and seventh in scoring, and it took no time for them to generate offense. They opened the first quarter on a comfortable 15-5 run, which forced the Nets to burn a timeout. But the break in action gave Brooklyn a boost, as they quickly erased the early deficit with a 15-4 run and took the lead at the 2:38 mark.
— Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau once again turned to his depth in the opening quarter, expanding the rotation to nine players for a second straight game. A big deal, considering they entered Tuesday ranked dead last in bench scoring and minutes. Both teams made nine field goals and found themselves in the bonus after 12 minutes.
— New York regained control early in the second quarter, orchestrating a 12-2 run that made Brooklyn call another timeout. The catalyst was Precious Achiuwa, who scored seven first-half points in 10 minutes. The Knicks increased their lead to 13 by the midway point of the quarter, but the Nets chipped away with another swing and held their rival to three-plus minutes without a field goal. New York broke out of the cold spell, though, entering halftime with a 59-51 advantage.
— Towns wasn’t relied on for offense against the Hawks, but he returned to his scoring ways in Brooklyn. He posted double-double numbers early in the second half and helped the Knicks bump their lead to 12 with 4:46 remaining in the third. But the Nets had their own double-double contributor, as D’Angelo Russell helped bring the deficit back to single digits once the quarter ended.
— The Knicks weren’t able to deliver a knockout punch early in the fourth, as they committed five turnovers within the first five minutes. While the Nets also struggled to buy buckets — they opened the quarter shooting a measly 1-of-9 — they built up momentum with a gradual 10-2 run and trimmed their deficit down to just two at the 6:03 mark. The swing forced a New York timeout.
— Out of the break, the Knicks’ shooting woes continued — with 3:12 remaining, they had scored just three points in the entire quarter. But a little pick-me-up from Jalen Brunson arrived when he scored or assisted on four straight buckets to put the team up three with 1:25 left. His last field goal was a contested layup that appeared to aggravate his knee. Brunson also narrowly avoided his first single-digit scoring game since Nov. 2023.
— The Nets kept the margin close in the final minute and set themselves up for a go-ahead three with 15 seconds left. But the shot from Cameron Johnson bounced high off the rim, and Hart grabbed the rebound and called a timeout. With the Knicks in possession, the Nets were forced to foul Brunson with seven seconds remaining, and he drained a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
— The Knicks forced a season-best 24 turnovers against the Hawks on Monday, and while their defense on Tuesday wasn’t as feisty and physical, they still forced the Nets into making several mistakes. Brooklyn committed 17 turnovers, which resulted in 22 points from New York in transition.
— OG Anunoby found success driving to the bucket, finishing with 20 points with three assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Mikal Bridges, who made his first trip to Barclays Center since the Nets traded him to the Knicks last summer, added 10 points in 34 minutes. Hart also came close to a triple-double, posting 12 boards with nine assists and seven points.
Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns mostly resembled his dominant self, finishing with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 16 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. It was also his 35th double-double of the season.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks (29-16) will take the rest of the workweek off and open up a five-game homestand against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night (7:30 tip-off). As for the Nets, they’ll play their second of four straight games at home against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night (7:30 tip).
