Nets' comeback effort falls short against Knicks in Battle of the Boroughs

New York could barely hold off a tanking Nets squad, 99-95, in its NBA Rivals Week clash Tuesday at Barclays Center. 

Previously down 13 points with 3:05 left in the third quarter, the largest deficit in this game, Brooklyn fought back to take an 88-87 lead with 5:18 left in the final frame. Just seconds outside of clutch time, the Nets somehow still had a 53.8 percent chance of winning, per ESPN’s Game Flow. Despite the Knicks shooting an atrocious 28.6 percent from three-point range, converting just 11 free throws and getting outrebounded 47-42 on the night, Brooklyn still managed to do what it does best – tank. 

New York closed the game on a 12-7 run to take home a ninth-straight victory over the Nets. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns posted a game-high 25 points and 16 rebounds along with six assists, three steals and two blocks on 61.1 percent shooting from the field, as forward OG Anunoby added 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

Regardless of its rivalry domination, New York clearly has a problem that could significantly compromise its championship aspirations both this season and for years to come. Former Nets standout Mikal Bridges recorded a forgettable 10 points in the Knicks win, making a mere three shots from the field on 23.1 percent shooting. Bridges’ trade out of Brooklyn last summer, which New York provided five first-round picks to facilitate, looks better for the Nets franchise daily.

Brooklyn guard D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with a 23-point, 10-assist double-double, which served as his second 20-point, 10-rebound game of the season. Russell’s three blocks against the Knicks also tied a career-high effort. Meanwhile, Nets forward Cameron Johnson struggled mightily in his 35 minutes, shooting 30 percent from the field (6/20 FG) and 22.2 percent from deep (2/9) with the second-worst plus/minus (-18) on the team next to center Nic Claxton (-19).  

Johnson has been the most highly-coveted trade target ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, leaving Brooklyn set on obtaining at least two first-round picks for the 28-year-old veteran, although a price believed to deter many suitors.

The Nets (14-30) currently have the sixth-best odds (9%) to win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, with a 37.2 percent chance of landing a top-four selection, behind Charlotte (11-28), New Orleans (12-32), Toronto (11-32), Utah (10-31) and Washington (6-36). Brooklyn sits 2.5 games back from a top-three spot in the lottery mix, a position that earns an organization the maximum 14 percent chance at winning the No. 1 overall selection and a 52.1 percent chance of falling within the top four.