Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle each tallied 30 points, leading the New York Knicks to a fourth consecutive victory, a 108-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets during Tuesday’s NBA action.
The Knicks, initially down by nine at the start of the final quarter, rallied with a 32-18 scoring advantage in the fourth, including a crucial 10-3 surge in the last two minutes. Brunson, who hit half of his shots, labeled the final quarter as the Knicks’ most formidable segment of the game.
“We just kept grinding. Obviously, they were pretty much beating us all game. They were playing well. They started the game pretty well,” Brunson said. “We couldn’t do anything about what we did in the past, we could only just be better going forward, and the best quarter was the fourth tonight.”
Mikal Bridges stood out for the Nets with a career-best seven 3-pointers, scoring 36 points. However, Brooklyn faltered again in the fourth quarter, repeating their previous game’s issue of losing a double-digit lead.
After holding an 18-point lead at one point, Brooklyn saw their 14-point advantage evaporate, similar to their recent defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. They held a 10-point lead late in the third quarter against the Knicks. Bridges emphasized team unity in the face of challenges.
“We just got to stay together, that’s the biggest thing,” Bridges said. “When a team makes a run, makes a push, we just got to handle adversity a little better.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Cameron Johnson scored 19 points, and Cam Thomas added 14 from the bench for the Nets, who had lost their last three encounters with the Knicks. Donte DiVincenzo contributed 11 points, and OG Anunoby chipped in with 10 for New York.
The game was tightly contested in the first half, but the Nets managed to create a 10-point buffer in the third quarter, culminating in a Nic Claxton dunk for an 81-71 lead.
Following a Randle miss, a layup from Prince Achiuwa brought the Knicks to within a point, leading 98-97 with just under four minutes to play.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Dorian Finney-Smith’s 3-pointer briefly reclaimed the lead for the Nets, but Randle’s subsequent three put the Knicks ahead permanently, 101-100, with just over two minutes remaining. The game saw a frenetic phase with three blocks from both teams, culminating in a Randle dunk that electrified the Knicks’ fans, pushing them ahead 103-101.
“That’s our team,” Randle said. “Me and Jalen get a lot of shine just scoring points and stuff like that, but those are the plays that win us games. Those are the plays that maybe go unnoticed. But they’re winning plays, and they help us win games.”
Finney-Smith missed a subsequent three-pointer, and Jason Hart extended the Knicks’ lead. Despite a late jumper from Bridges, the Knicks sealed their win with free throws.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Brunson’s 18 first-half points, including 10 in the second quarter, were crucial in giving the Knicks a narrow 50-49 lead at halftime.
Looking ahead, the Knicks will host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, while the Nets will face the Minnesota Timberwolves at home.
