The Nets have stolen the NBA’s imagination, and they even stole Wednesday’s televised game against the Knicks.
Imagine their entire super team – and not just Kevin Durant – showing up at the Garden next time.
Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks couldn’t even defend Brooklyn Lite. The Nets became the Brooklyn Nine after making a blockbuster four-team swap to add a third superstar in James Harden, and they still rolled over the Knicks, 116-109, in the empty Garden.
Of course, Durant was still on the court. In his first game against the Knicks since turning them down as a free agent in July 2019, he collected 26 points in 30 minutes, including 12 in the third quarter. Durant hit 10 of the 18 shots – including 3 of 5 from a 3-point range.
“We want to finish the second half of the back-to-back, especially with a team right across the bridge,” said Durant. “And we know what that rivalry is like, and we know with what intensity this team is playing. So we really wanted this game tonight, and everyone played it fun. ”
The garden was not completely empty. Knicks owner James Dolan, who is no longer in his basic seat next to the team bench during this pandemic season, watched the mess from the second row of the 100-level in center court. This one had to stab Dolan after watching Durant’s pull-up jumpers and seeing his club lose its fourth straight run to drop to 5-7.
While the attack had been the Achilles heel for the Knicks, this time it was the defense that let Thibodeau down.
“Disappointed that we could have played better defensively, yes, but more determined to get it right,” said Thibodeau. “I love the fight we showed at the end, but it was too late. We ended up in too big a hole. We have to get back to work. Sometimes you go through pieces where you don’t have a chance to practice too much, so I think practice would be good for us. “
Harden will arrive shortly, but the Nets were without Kyrie Irving (personal reasons) and the players they traded – Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince and Rodions Kurucs.
While the Nets have turned Brooklyn harbor stars, Knicks power forward Julius Randle continued to play as one. He pounded the Nets for 30 points and five assists, but didn’t have enough. Slump RJ Barrett, who had no field goal in the first half and missed his first six shots, came too late and finished with 20 points.
Durant interrupted a late 15-2 run with a steal and fast-break layup in the last minute of the second quarter to give the Nets a 61-45 halftime lead. He scored on the first possession of the game and was graceful in the yard in the white uniforms of the Nets.
Thibodeau isn’t surprised Durant hasn’t shown a drop-off since recovering from his Achilles tendon injury.
“He will overcome whatever lies ahead,” said Thibodeau. ‘He’s a gym rat. He is a playmaker. He’s a great student of the game. And he has incredible skills. And the underestimated part is his unselfishness, his willingness to succeed. He is certainly an all-time great. So it doesn’t surprise me.
Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley, a fellow Maryland resident, seemed to be in a bit of awe of Durant.
“Probably the best basketball player I’ve ever played against,” said Quickley, who broke out of his malaise and scored 19 points in 22 minutes on a bright spot from Knicks. “He shot me once and it was like a video game. was there and he just drained it all and I just went to court when we were offended and I was like, “Oh my god, that was crazy.” He’s a great player and he’s from Maryland so I’m just glad he does. ”
The understaffed Nets played a decent game and made only one turnover in the first half. Sharpshooter Joe Harris scored 15 points and hit three 3-pointers. Net guard Bruce Brown, with 15 points and 14 rebounds, looked much more effective and faster than Barrett. In one game, he beat the Knicks defense for a quick lay-up.
To make matters worse, the second round of the Nets power forward Reggie Perry was called up, scoring 11 points in 5-of-7 shots.
Perry, from Mississippi state, was ranked 57th in November. The Knicks could have had the 33rd pick, but traded it in a complex deal for a 2023 second-rounder because they felt there was no room on their roster.
Trailing 18 to 3:23 left and Durant on the pine, the Knicks made a late push to make the final score look more competitive than it actually was.