Nets Outslug Knicks, 120-112

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the New York Knicks, 120-112, at Barclays Center on
Sunday evening. The Nets (12-53) had come in to Saturday’s game on somewhat of a
high note by their standards, as they’d notched two of their 11 victories on the
season within the previous six games. They played an inspired first half as
well, jumping out to a 67-49 lead by intermission. However, the Knicks (26-41)
regrouped at halftime and came out firing in the third, outscoring their hosts
by a 31-24 margin during the period. They managed to get as close as 106-101
with 5:09 remaining in the game after a Carmelo Anthony three-point jumper, but
Jeremy Lin, who’d missed his first nine shots from the field, drained a
three-pointer, and rookie Caris LaVert drained a 25-footer of his own just over
30 seconds later to push the lead back up to nine. New York made one last surge
by getting to within 118-112 after a Derrick Rose basket with 1:08 remaining but
would go scoreless the rest of the way. The Nets emerged victorious thanks in
large part to their marksmanship, as they shot 46 percent from the field and 50
percent from three-point range, while also seeing seven players tally double
digits in the scoring column. Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks with 27
points, which he supplemented with seven rebounds, three assists and one block.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double that also
included four assists and five blocks. Derrick Rose provided 17 points, five
boards, two assists and two steals. Courtney Lee went for 15 points, two
rebounds, one assist and one steal. Lance Thomas led the bench with 13 points,
five rebounds, four assists and one block. Brook Lopez paced the Nets in his
return from a one-game absence with 25 points, six rebounds, two assists, one
steal and one block. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson posted a 14-point, 11-rebound
double-double that also included one block. Trevor Booker matched
Hollis-Jefferson’s point total off the bench and added nine rebounds. Lin and
LaVert supplied matching 13-point efforts, with the former adding five assists,
four rebounds and one steal, and the latter registering four rebounds, four
assists and a pair of steals. Quincy Acy (12 points, six boards, one assist) and
Isaiah Whitehead (10 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals) were
productive in reserve roles as well. The Knicks head back across town to tangle
with the visiting Indiana Pacers on Tuesday evening, while the Nets remain home
against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the same night.