Both New York teams extended their respective streaks Wednesday night, with the Nets dropping their sixth straight and the Knicks winning seven in a row in a 142-118 rout at MSG.
Here are the takeaways...
- Jalen Brunson led the way with 39 points, 30 of which came in the first half. Quentin Grimes knocked down six threes en route to 22 points.
- Brooklyn got railroaded from the outset, but got nice contributions from their young core. Cameron Johnson compiled 33 points on 18 shots while Mikal Bridges added 21.
- The Knicks went on an early 13-0 run, hitting 78 percent of their first-quarter field goals and making nine of their first 11 threes. Every starter got involved and New York went up 23-14 midway through the first. Brunson seemed to hurt his knee early in the period but brushed it off for a massive 16-point quarter.
- Grimes got off to a molten hot start with three bombs from deep. Bridges scored his own nine points in the opening period in response, however New York’s bench came in and extended the Knicks lead to 47-29 going into the second.
- The second quarter was more of the same. Brooklyn only scored 11 points midway through the quarter, stifled by the New York bench. The Knicks led 62-40 midway through period two.
- Brunson continued his tear with a couple of off-dribble threes and a mid-range jumper over Bridges, building as high as a 25-point lead for the Knicks.
- Johnson was the only Net with the knack, hitting four of seven threes for 14 points in the first half. It wasn’t enough to contain Brunson, who went into the break with 30, and the Knicks, beating down on Brooklyn 81-57 at halftime.
- Brooklyn finally got off the snide to start the third quarter, with 19 points midway through the period. Their threes began falling and Johnson kept cooking, but the Knicks maintained a 20-point advantage.
- New York wouldn’t relent. They hit 100 points at the 5:19 mark in the third, and continued to bully Brooklyn behind a couple more Grimes threes and Julius Randle getting more involved inside with a 10-point quarter. The Knicks led 110-87 going into the fourth.
- Although the Nets wouldn’t allow another complete embarrassment, Josh Hart maintained the Knicks effort, diving for loose balls and stripping Brooklyn’s bigs of their rebounds for scores on the other end. New York coasted to victory in the fourth.
- Randle finished with 21-8-8, with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley each adding 15 and Mitchell Robinson securing a double-double.
- Spencer Dinwiddie put up 11 points and 10 assists while Cam Thomas contributed 15 off the bench.