Mikal Bridges didn’t get a tribute video in his return to Barclays Center on Tuesday, but he did get a “Welcome back” graphic that was displayed on the jumbotron when the Knicks‘ starters were introduced.
Nostalgia aside, the latest entry in the NBA’s interborough rivalry proved to be a war — one that Bridges and the Knicks ultimately prevailed in 99-95.
“It was cool, man,” Bridges said. “Saw a lot of my old teammates and staff and everybody, so it was great to see them.”
Even though the Nets were once again playing shorthanded without Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Ben Simmons (illness), Ziaire Williams (left ankle sprain) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain), they overcame an early 15-5 deficit to take a 26-24 lead into the second quarter — and continued to compete throughout regulation.
Brooklyn, which entered the night with three straight losses, limited the Knicks to 37.5% shooting in the opening quarter and just nine points in the final 7:35. The Knicks’ usual host of starters — Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns — all played.
However, the Knicks dominated the second quarter 35-25, fueled by Towns, who dropped 12 points in the period on 5-for-6 shooting. His scoring outburst, combined with a 59.1% team shooting effort, added up to a 59-51 Knicks advantage at halftime.
Nets center Nic Claxton had no answer for Towns at either end of the court early. He was a team-worst minus-20 in 15 first-half minutes. Cam Johnson and D’Angelo Russell combined for 24 points through two-quarters of action, doing their best to keep Brooklyn afloat.
Claxton, to his credit, appeared more energized in the second half. He was more aggressive on offense, although he still had trouble finishing around the rim, and he finally made his presence felt on the glass.
However, the Knicks limited Cam Johnson to two points in the third quarter while Towns kept pouring it on with little resistance. Once Russell checked out briefly after picking up his fourth foul with 6:36 left in the period, the Knicks responded with an 8-0 run to go up 76-64. The Nets had five turnovers in the third quarter, resulting in eight extra points for the Knicks, and went into the fourth down 84-75.
It got tight late. A Brunson miss, followed by a Cam Johnson dunk in transition, made it an 87-85 game with 6:03 left. After a Knicks timeout, Towns missed an easy look four feet from the rim, then Keon Johnson knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night from the right wing.
Just like that, the Nets led 88-87, but the Knicks quickly snatched back momentum and were up 97-95 with 23 seconds left. The Nets had possession with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Jordi Fernandez drew up a play for Cam Johnson at the top of the key, and his team executed to near perfection. But he missed the open 27-footer off the back of the rim, forcing Brooklyn to foul on the Knicks’ ensuing possession. Brunson iced the game out at the free throw line, with “MVP” chants echoing throughout the arena.
“We were in mud, but I think our defense was really good and we found a way to win the game,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You’ve got to win games different ways. Just find a way to win. We got timely stops; we got some big-time hustle plays. OG was terrific. Josh Hart terrific. Mikal terrific. KAT and Jalen got going at the end. Timely plays. And so just find a way to win. That’s the bottom line.”
Russell finished with 23 points and 10 assists in 32 minutes — the most minutes he’s played since returning to Brooklyn — notching his second 20/10 game of the season and his first this season with the Nets. He also recorded a career-high-tying three blocked shots.
“I’ll never take being able to play free basketball like this for granted again,” Russell said.
Cam Johnson added 16 points but did it on a 6-for-20 clip. And after a slow start, Claxton wound up matching his season highs in rebounds (12) and offensive rebounds (five).
“I liked his energy,” Fernandez said of Claxton. “He was vocal, he was engaged the whole game, and that’s the Nic Claxton I want. And if he continues to do that like he’s been doing, he’s going to help us win. The good thing is: He has high standards for himself, and I love it.”
Towns led the Knicks with 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, but it wasn’t a memorable night for Bridges, who scored just 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting.
The Knicks, who improved to 29-16, have now won consecutive games for the first time since rattling off nine straight from Dec. 15 – Jan. 1. They’re 3-0 against Brooklyn this season. The Nets, now losers of four straight, fell to 14-30.
Brooklyn is now 2.5 games out of second in the lottery standings after Tuesday’s loss.
The Nets and Knicks will meet for the final time this season on April 13 at Barclays Center. It will be the season finale for both teams.
Brooklyn will return to action on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns at home. The Knicks will have three days off before hosting the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
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