Hours before the game even started, it was announced that both teams would be without their full rosters. The Nets, missing their starting center Nic Claxton to a back strain, with him being reevaluated in one week after receiving an epidural injection. The Knicks, missing their starting center Karl Anthony-Town due to a minor knee injury, and guard Miles McBride to an illness. Going into this game, there was a large amount of tension given the blockbuster deal made between the inner-city rivals in the offseason, with the Nets sending former face of the franchise Mikal Bridges to the Knicks in exchange for multiple expiring salaries and a treasure chest of unprotected first-round picks and pick swaps.
In the 1st half, the Knicks led 68-59. However, despite being down, Cam Thomas was scorching hot, scoring 27 points on 10-11 FG in the first half! He hit five pull-up threes and drove to the paint, finishing through the Knicks' defense. The rest of the team struggled when Thomas wasn’t scoring. Excluding Thomas’ points, the rest of the Nets scored only 32 points on 10-35 FG. Defensively, the Nets struggled without Claxton’s rim protection, as the Knicks shot 81% from 2PT, with OG getting to the rim with ease, and both Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges hitting difficult contested mid-range shots in the paint.
In the 2nd half, the Nets came out lethargic as the Knicks' defense began to blitz Cam Thomas, forcing him to be more of a passer. It should be noted that Thomas was doing a phenomenal job distributing the ball. However, Ben Simmons blew an open layup that would have been a nice assist had he made it, and Dennis Schroder missed a wide-open 3 off a Cam Thomas drive-and-kick. With no one else being able to hit shots, the Knicks' lead eventually ballooned to 100-82 by the end of the third quarter. Going into the fourth, the Nets showed some grit! With Thomas and Finney-Smith hitting back-to-back threes, DFS even got into a skirmish with OG Anunoby over a foul while fighting a screen. Following this interaction, the Nets began to play aggressively, forcing the Knicks into turnovers and attacking the rim, drawing fouls.
Being down 18 going into the fourth, the Nets were able to fight back and take the lead 122-121 with Cam Johnson waking up late in the fourth with several clutch buckets, and Dennis Schroder hitting a game-leading three with 11.5 seconds to go. Despite Thomas becoming the first Net to have multiple 40-point games at Madison Square Garden, one out of five players to achieve such a feat, and finishing the game with 43 points on 16-22 FG, the Nets ultimately walked away with a loss after Jalen Brunson’s game-winning 3.
This was a heartbreaking loss, but it was an incredible game for the Nets. Even though they were down by 20 points, they were able to claw their way back—they never gave up. Ultimately, while this loss hurts, this is a learning experience for the team and the coach.
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