5 days Ago By Dylan Backer, Empire Sports Media
The New York Knicks avoided having another fourth quarter collapse this time, as they easily defeated the Brooklyn Nets for the second straight game Sunday by a score of 114-104. New York now gets back to over .500 at 7-6 on the season while Brooklyn falls to 5-9.
The Knicks put on a phenomenal offensive display once again The offense has been the least of the Knicks’ concerns in the early going, as they once again put on a great scoring display with Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup after missing Friday’s matchup with a knee injury. After struggling to properly take care of the basketball on Friday, New York was much better at making plays on Sunday as a unit, as they recorded 33 assists and turned the ball over just six times. Jalen Brunson led the way in the assists department, dishing 10 on the night.
It was nothing short of a woeful shooting night for the Knicks’ captain, as he scored just 12 points and shot 3-for-14 from the floor and 0-for-5 from three. However, it was good to see him take over as a facilitator on a night when his shot is not falling, and it speaks volumes to how many different weapons they have at their disposal on any given night. The Knicks had four players score 20 or more points The Knicks have demonstrated many times that all five starters can give them a good amount of points anytime, and they put that on display once again against Brooklyn.
New York had four players score 20 or more points, with Towns leading all scorers with 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field in his return. Towns also had 15 rebounds and dished six assists as he showcased his versatility on the offensive end of the floor. Mikal Bridges had another strong night against his former team, as he posted 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the floor and 3-for-10 from three in 45 minutes of action.
Bridges was also a team-high +16 on the night, and it seems as though he is finally starting to identify his role on this Knicks squad. OG Anunoby continued his stretch of offensive excellence with another 20-point outing. He finished with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the floor and 3-for-7 from three and added eight rebounds and a block to his tally on the night.
Josh Hart provided an additional 20 points of his own on 8-for-13 shooting and 3-for-7 from three. Hart also grabbed eight rebounds and threw eight assists while turning the ball over just once. The Knicks were much better defensively On Friday, the Knicks fell apart defensively in the fourth quarter and allowed the Nets to score 40 points in the closing period.
They made sure to not have a similar meltdown on Sunday, as they held Brooklyn to a game-low 23 fourth quarter points and were able to maintain a comfortable for the majority of the second half after entering the halftime break with just a three-point lead. The Knicks built a wall around the rim, as they gave up just 24 points in the paint to the Nets. New York was able to take advantage of Brooklyn playing without their two main centers Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe and scored 50 points in the paint.
New York also dominated the rebound battle as they secured 47 rebounds to Brooklyn’s 35. The Knicks were much improved in transition as well, as they gave up just eight total fastbreak points on the night. They held Cam Thomas quiet after a 43-point eruption on Friday, as he scored just 16 points and shot 4-for-11 from the floor on Sunday.
These last two games were wins that the Knicks desperately needed after the heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Bulls back on Wednesday. New York concludes this jam-packed homestand with a game against the Washington Wizards on Monday before they head out West for a date with the Phoenix Suns this upcoming Wednesday. This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.
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