What looked to be an easy win for the New York Knicks became a long and grueling dogfight. After leading by 21 points with 1:17 left in the third quarter, the Brooklyn Nets stormed back in the fourth quarter and took the lead with 12 seconds remaining in regulation on a three-pointer from Dennis Schroder. Suddenly, things were shaping up for another crushing defeat for the Knicks.
However, Jalen Brunson played the hero after coming up just short of a game-winner Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. This time, the ball went in, sinking a three-pointer with six seconds remaining to give the Knicks the lead back. Mikal Bridges would then block Schroder’s attempt at tying the game at the rim, sealing the game and avoiding a disastrous collapse for New York, winning by a final score of 124-122.
The Knicks improve back to .500 at 6-6 while the Nets drop to 5-8.
Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks with Karl-Anthony Towns out
The Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns for the first time this season with a left knee contusion, meaning that Brunson was going to have to step up without his All-Star teammate. He did exactly that, as along with the game-winner, he finished with a season-high 37 points on 12-for-20 shooting (3-for-8 from three), seven assists and three rebounds.
The Knicks’ captain took over the game late, as he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and kept his team in front while Brooklyn was mounting their comeback. Through the early part of the season, his clutch gene seemed to have gone missing as he was ice cold down the stretch of close games, but he seems to now be back into his All-NBA form as his heroics gave the Knicks a massive win.
The Knicks’ rookies gave them solid minutes with Miles McBride out
Towns wasn’t the only Knick absent from this one, as Miles McBride also sat this game out with an illness. With the depleted bench, head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to let the bench loose and play all three of his rookies. Pacome Dadiet scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in 11 minutes while Tyler Kolek was scoreless in six minutes, but the rookie that stood out the most was Ariel Hukporti.
The second-round rookie big man from Germany played a career-high 30 minutes of action and made the most of it. He recorded seven points, grabbed four rebounds, dished three assists, and swatted four blocks. His outstanding rim protection allowed him to earn the trust of Thibodeau to close the game out, and his contributions were instrumental in their victory.
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby had standout performances for the Knicks
The Knicks’ premier wing duo of Bridges and OG Anunoby had great offensive performances against the Nets, showcasing their versatility as all-around threats on the court. Anunoby bounced back from a rough game against the Bulls and finished with 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting and eight rebounds. He also recorded two steals and was a +10.
Anunoby did struggle on his three-point shooting, as he was just 1-for-8 from downtown. However, he made a big enough impact inside the arc to help build the Knicks’ large lead.
Bridges, playing against his former team for the first time, had his best game as a member of the Knicks with a season-high 22 points on 4-for-7 shooting from outside the arc to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Bridges has had an up-and-down start to the season as he continues to adapt to a new role on the court, but against Brooklyn, he looked comfortable taking shots from both the mid-range and the three-point line, which is an encouraging sign for the Knicks going forward.
The Knicks nearly let the game slip away with a horrible fourth quarter
The Knicks took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter and allowed the Nets to outscore them 40-24 in the closing period. New York had no answer for microwave scorer Cam Thomas, who finished the game with 43 points on 16-for-22 shooting from the floor and 7-for-10 from three.
Each time it seemed like the Knicks would pull away, poor transition defense would lead the Nets to an easy response. Brooklyn knocked down 19 three-pointers on 46 attempts from downtown overall on the night, and shot 12-or-21 from the field and 6-for-10 from three in the fourth quarter. New York has now allowed an average of 115.3 points to their opponents over their last six games.
It took some magic from Brunson in the waning seconds to prevent a historic collapse by the Knicks. They escape with a much-needed win, but cleaning up the defense will be a point of emphasis heading into Sunday’s game, which is also against the Nets at Madison Square Garden.