Barclays Center was sold-out for the Brooklyn Nets' cross-town rivalry game against the New York Knicks, but boisterous Knicks fans gave the latter team home game energy as they left Brooklyn with a 108-103 victory Tuesday night.
Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 36 points, but the 1-2 punch of Knicks forward Julius Randle and point guard Jalen Brunson, each scoring 30 points, sealed the victory in the final minute to drop the Nets to 17-26 on the season.
The Nets have a 2-8 record in the first 10 games of 2024 and have dropped out of play-in and playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They are a sinking ship drifting into draft lottery territory as the trade deadline approaches.
Getting guard Ben Simmons back in the lineup would benefit the Nets, but his return from the injured list is still uncertain.
The visiting Knicks scored 58 points in the paint for the game, which proved pivotal, as both teams were pedestrian from a distance, with the Nets shooting 35.7% and the Knicks 34.5% from the 3-point line. The score was 50-49 at halftime in favor the Nets and the game tilted towards the home team after the break as Bridges poured in 18 points in the 3rd quarter, going 7-8 from the field and 4-5 from the three-point line.
Ultimately, the game was decided in the 4th quarter when the Knicks outscored the Nets 32-18, led by Randle’s tenacity as he scored 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the final frame.
New Knick forwards OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, acquired from the Toronto Raptors in December, impacted the game with hustle and grit, with Achiuwa corralling 9 rebounds and Anunoby getting 4 steals.
The Nets' singular scoring option in crunch time is usually Bridges so teams crowd his space, and the set plays did not yield buckets often enough. Nets guard Cam Thomas did not play much in the 4th quarter, perhaps as a nod to his defensive deficiencies that outweigh his ability to get buckets.
Bridges tied the game 101-101 at the 1:28 mark of the final period, but the Nets were outscored 7-2 when the game mattered the most. The will to win favored the Knicks in the closing ninety seconds of the game, when the Knicks had two key blocks, one by Anunoby and the other by guard Josh Hart.
The Knicks also snatched key rebounds, with five on the offensive end that led to 9 second chance points for the Knicks in the 4th quarter. Julius Randle’s rebound after a Cam Johnson missed 3-pointer led to a Nic Claxton take foul of Randle, who calmly sank both free throws to seal the victory.
The Nets will play the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
