The New York Knicks walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 103-90 win over the Brooklyn Nets, but holy cow, did they make it a nail-biter. Facing the league’s youngest team, a 1-5 squad that played just yesterday in Indiana, the Knicks looked like they were sleepwalking for three quarters, chucking up a ridiculous 44 three-pointers out of 75 total shots. For much of the night, this felt less like a gimme and more like a trap.
The Slow Burn & Shamet’s Spark
This game reeked of a trap from the jump. The Nets, despite their 1-5 record, snatched a four-point lead in the first quarter before the Knicks finally erased it and flipped it into a nine-point advantage, leading 27-21 at the first break. OG Anunoby, who’s been a bit up and down this season, got things started for New York. Mike Brown was hoping to inject some excitement, calling Anunoby’s number early, and he responded, hitting one of two early threes and converting a slick cutting layup thanks to a dime from Karl-Anthony Towns. Anunoby finished with 18 points, 3-7 from deep, and 2 steals in 38 minutes.
But it was Landry Shamet who became the real, unexpected hero for much of the night. Midway through that first frame, Shamet subbed in alongside Andre Drummond, who grabbed 9 boards and added 4 points in 13 minutes, and Miles McBride, who had 6 points in 16 minutes. Shamet ended up with a massive 22 points on a super efficient 6-8 from the field in 29 minutes. He was absolutely carrying them! Jalen Brunson poured in 19 points, hit 4-11 from beyond the arc, and dished 6 assists in 33 minutes, sinking three of his first four from deep before Jose Alvarado, back from a sprained ankle, took over for him late in the first.
Nets’ Surge and Marquee Players
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s shot attempts were magnetically opposed to the rim for long stretches, with the ball just rolling around and flying off. Marquee players Julius Randle (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Michael Porter Jr. (18 points, 4-11 from three) struggled early. Randle missed all three of his first-quarter shots, and Porter Jr. managed only five points on five attempts. The Nets missed 13 shots and coughed up four turnovers in the first alone. The refs were letting a fair amount of jostling go, which added to the early game funk.
Don’t count out the young Nets though! Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. was putting in inspired play, and after looking rough, Brooklyn flipped the script in the third quarter. They outscored the Knicks a dominant 35-24 to take a four-point lead into the final frame. The home crowd must have been sweating, watching their team throw up shots from deep and struggle against a bottom-dweller.
Fourth Quarter Frenzy
Just when it looked like the Knicks were about to give this one away to the bottom-of-the-conference Nets, they WOKE UP. The fourth quarter was a completely different story. The Knicks came alive, getting special appearances from Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson, and absolutely shut down the visitors, outscoring them a dominant 28-11! That’s how you snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat! A huge final frame, fueled by Shamet’s overall impact and the late surge from Kolek and Clarkson, proved to be the difference.
So the Knicks claw their way to a 103-90 win, moving their record to 4-4. This one was a wild ride, a gut-check win where they finally found their rhythm in the clutch. They can’t keep sleepwalking through three quarters, but man, that fourth-quarter fight? That’s what you want to see! Let’s hope they carry that energy into the next one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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