The New York Knicks narrowly escaped disaster, as a late fourth-quarter surge allowed them to barely scratch a win against the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday 99-95. New York sweeps the back-to-back and is now 29-16 on the season, while the Nets have dropped nine of their last 10 games and are now 14-30.
Jalen Brunson came through when the Knicks needed him
It had been a struggle for Jalen Brunson most of the night. He scored just nine points through the first three quarters and was very inefficient. However, he erased all of that with some clutch buckets down the stretch, which helped the Knicks come away victorious.
Brunson scored eight points in the last two minutes of the game and did what the Knicks needed him to do, which was take over the game down the stretch. New York went approximately the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter having scored just three points, but Brunson’s heroics will have people forget what was looking to be a horrific collapse.
Fourth quarters have haunted the Knicks this season, and despite the Nets missing Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons, New York was unable to slow down Brooklyn’s ferocity down the stretch. The Knicks will need to clean up the late-game struggles if they want to win games more easily.
The Knicks had one of their worst offensive performances of the season
Despite the win, it was a very ugly one for the Knicks, as they played arguably their sloppiest offensive game of the season. Overall, they shot 46% from the field and just 28.6% from three.
The Knicks looked like they were playing in the second leg of a back-to-back, as fatigue hampered their effectiveness on that end of the floor. Mikal Bridges struggled offensively against his former team with just 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting, but his activity on defense along with OG Anunoby helped make up for the poor scoring display.
On any other night, the Knicks probably don’t win a game shooting that poorly. Luckily for them, however, the Nets shot worse than New York, as they shot a ghastly 37.2% from the floor and 30% from three. Their shot selection was poor all night, largely due to the Knicks’ stifling defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns dominated for the Knicks
In his second game back from a brief absence with a thumb sprain, Karl-Anthony Towns continued his MVP-level season with a dominant all-around performance.
Towns recorded 25 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. He shot 11-for-19 from the field and was an unmovable force that Brooklyn couldn’t contain. He did struggle with turnovers and the three-point shot, as he turned the ball over five times and failed to hit a three-pointer on three attempts.
Towns is likely still bothered by the thumb injury, as he is just 1-for-9 from beyond the arc in the two games since returning. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see him still have a positive impact everywhere else with his shot not falling.
Overview
The Knicks barely survived what would have been a massive collapse. They now will get some much-needed rest ahead of them, as their next game isn’t until Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. Additionally, their next five games will be played at home, so this is the opportunity for them to build some momentum heading into the All-Star break next month.