The Knicks kept control of New York, but not without a serious fright.
What looked like a game slipping away twice over turned into another narrow escape Friday night, as New York held off a furious Brooklyn rally for a 93-92 victory and extended its dominance in the cross-borough matchup to 14 straight games. The win gave the Knicks their fifth in a row and further underscored just how one-sided this city rivalry has become in recent years.
Karl-Anthony Towns anchored the Knicks through the chaos, finishing with 26 points and 15 rebounds in a bruising performance that steadied New York whenever the game threatened to tilt. Jalen Brunson added 17 points, while OG Anunoby chipped in 16 as the Knicks overcame a sluggish opening, a late collapse, and a frantic final possession to escape with another win.
For much of the night, Brooklyn looked ready to make the rivalry feel real again. The Nets, mired in a losing skid, came out sharper and more aggressive, building a 13-point first-half advantage while frustrating the Knicks into one of their weakest starts of the season. New York managed only 14 points in the opening quarter and trailed 50-44 at halftime, with Brooklyn dictating the tempo and energy.
But the game turned dramatically after the break.
The Knicks stormed out of halftime with the kind of response that has fueled their recent surge, overwhelming the Nets 31-15 in the third quarter. Suddenly, the team that had looked flat and disjointed was moving with purpose, defending with bite, and feeding off Towns’ interior presence. By the end of the period, New York had flipped the script and built a 75-65 lead, appearing ready to put Brooklyn away.
That assumption did not last long.
Towns pushed the Knicks ahead 84-70 on a layup with 9:34 remaining, but the Nets answered with their best stretch of the night. Brooklyn ripped off 17 unanswered points, stunning the home crowd and grabbing an 87-84 lead with just over three minutes left. What had been a comfortable Knicks cushion vanished in a blur of missed shots, turnovers, and renewed Nets confidence.
With the pressure rising, Towns and Brunson delivered the response New York needed. The two stars combined for eight crucial points down the stretch, helping the Knicks regain control and move ahead 92-87 with 1:04 to play. Even then, Brooklyn refused to go quietly. Nolan Traore drilled a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one, and after Towns misfired on two free throws, the Nets had one final chance to steal the game.
That opportunity fell to Ben Saraf, whose desperation heave from 45 feet at the buzzer missed the mark, allowing the Knicks to survive and keep their city streak alive.
Brooklyn drew encouragement from the fight it showed in defeat. Josh Minott led the Nets with 22 points, while Ziaire Williams added 17 as Brooklyn pushed New York to the edge despite dropping its sixth straight contest. Though the loss added to the Nets’ frustrations, it also offered a glimpse of the grit they had lacked during much of the skid.
The night was not short on tension beyond the scoreboard. Emotions flared in the second quarter when Mitchell Robinson and Ziaire Williams were each assessed technical fouls after Robinson stood over Nolan Traore following a hard fall. Tempers rose again late in the third when Anunoby and Nic Claxton exchanged shoves after a turnover, drawing another pair of technicals and adding bite to a rivalry that has too often lacked balance on the floor.
Still, when the dust settled, the result felt familiar.
Brooklyn made it dramatic. The Knicks made it count. And in a rivalry that continues to belong to Manhattan, New York once again found a way to walk away with the last word.