Fourth defeat in a row for the Nets, who were unable to restart the machine after returning from a five-game road trip for this New York derby which very quickly swung in favor of the Knicks.
The DiVincenzo-Barrett-Randle trio did what was necessary to start the match on a good note, also with defense and fast play to increase the gap to 20-32 after 12 minutes. It then took 3-pointers from the Johnson-O'Neale pair twice and that of Spencer Dinwiddie to briefly restart the game (37-42). Hope only returned for a moment, because New York was quick to respond, between Jalen Brunson's 3-pointer and the 7 points from an aggressive Julius Randle (46-56).
Relegated to -9 at the break (51-60), the Nets almost suffered a “blowout” after having eaten an 11-0 upon returning from the locker room, but the 3-points of Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges have gradually revived the premises. After hitting the mark from afar, Cam Thomas then found Nic Claxton for an alley-oop which brought Brooklyn to -7 (77-84).
Problem, the Nets were not able to continue their effort, conceding a 14-0 in stride between the end of the third and the start of the fourth quarter, with Quentin Grimes at the conclusion for a lay-up and a 3-pointer (77-98). This time, Brooklyn was unable to move forward, starting the last act with a crippling 0/9 shooting, finally losing 121-102 without having anything to complain about.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Julius Randle held his position. The interior embodied the definition of a leader, the one who gives confidence to the rest of the team and knows how to take responsibility, whether to allow his team to get off to a good start or to maintain the gap. Even if he ate a nice pancake from Nic Claxton in the third quarter, and despite his 0/4 behind the arc Julius Randle shone in this role, guiding his Knicks to safety with aggression and accuracy in key moments to finish with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists.
– Mikal Bridges, Ironman lacking iron. The winger admitted not to have been up to standard during the Nets' recent road trip. This return home to face his New York neighbor did not really allow him to get back on the right path. The former Suns player watered again, and his start to the match at 0/7 shooting did not help to give him confidence. At the finish, he had another hole, with a horrible 4 out of 21 shooting.
– The Knicks at home? The New York derby was an opportunity to see the aura still very present around the Knicks, even on the Nets floor, who wore jerseys designed by Brian Donnelly alis KAWS for the occasion. The Barclays Center thus welcomed a good number of Knicks fans who knew how to make their voices heard, particularly at the start of the match, when Tom Thibodeau's men began to take off. Also at the end of the match, the court roared when Immanuel Quickley scored an off-balance 3-pointer, squeezing Spike Lee's grip at the edge of the field in the process. The Nets fanbase has been growing since the franchise arrived in Brooklyn, but it will still take time to compete with a historic brand like the Knicks.
