In the final matchup of the regular season against their crosstown rival the New York Knicks, the Knicks were dominant, taking down the Nets 142–118. Not only is it New York’s seventh consecutive win, but the team has won five of these games by double-digit margins.
The Knicks have looked absolutely unstoppable lately and that continued last night, as the team had one of the best offensive games in franchise history. This was due in large part to Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes, who both played at a high level.
As the Knicks enter a relatively difficult period of games at their time, such a victory is not understandable. Especially when you consider the fact that New York is now just 1.5 games behind Cleveland for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks pull off historic offensive performance against crosstown rival Nets
To name a few of the things New York did tonight, they scored 81 points in the first half (47 in the first quarter), which ranks third-most in franchise history, and 14 threes in the first half. Hits, which belongs to. the most in franchise history. Along with this, Jalen Brunson had 30 points in the first half, setting a new career high for a half.
By the end of the game, Brunson had 39 points, six assists, and five rebounds on a ridiculous performance of 15-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Brunson was unstoppable in the first half and slowed down as the game progressed, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as the Knicks’ offense flowed incredibly well to the point where it didn’t need to score in bunches.
It was the Knicks’ highest-scoring game of the entire season, surpassing their 140-point total against the Pistons in November. What makes it even better is that they could have scored more if they weren’t hitting the nets so much.
Of all the games the Knicks have played this season, none may be better than last night. The offense was flowing almost perfectly, the defense looked incredible, and the players looked like they were having a lot of fun on the court.
There really weren’t any disappointing players from this game, as players were contributing from all areas of the field. Whether it was Mitchell Robinson’s fourth consecutive double-double, Quentin Grimes’ fourth game scoring 20+ points, or Julius Randle’s near triple-double, there was nothing Brooklyn could do to stop New York.
With the Knicks set to take on the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in their next two matchups, we need the team to continue their hot streak if they want to clinch the fourth seed.
Who would have thought that at this point in the season, the Knicks would be pushing for a top-four seed in the East and the Nets would be sliding further down the conference standings?
The downfall of the Nets has been absolutely hilarious to watch, especially when you consider how loud their fans were before the downfall. It seems as though Brooklyn “fans” will go into hiding until their team becomes relevant once again.