Nets Show Grit Despite Loss to Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets lost a heartbreaker to the New York Knicks last night, 124-122. In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson nailed a three-pointer, which was followed by a Mikal Bridges block on Nets guard Dennis Schroder. It was a tough ending for Brooklyn, but there were positives from the loss.

The Nets were down by as many as 21 points late in the third quarter before igniting a fourth-quarter comeback. They nearly had the game when Dennis Schroder hit a go-ahead three-pointer, but New York’s clutch performance shut down the victory.

Brooklyn wasn’t at its best aside from guard Cam Thomas. He put the team on his back with 43 points on 16-of-22 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from three. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Ziaire Williams stepped up with efficient late-game shooting.

The overall vibe of the game goes both ways for the Knicks. New York was down key players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Deuce McBride, and Mitchell Robinson, whereas the team did find itself up by 21. For the Knicks, the defense suffered a collapse.

As for the Nets, this was a good loss. Remember, Brooklyn is now 5-8 and is expected to be rebuilding, which means the goal is a top draft pick in 2025. To lose by two points shows that the Nets are still competitive, but one step closer to a successful draft.

In terms of the team’s play against the Knicks last night, head coach Jordi Fernandez instilled grit. The team never lost hope and continued to fight even when Thomas was the only player performing. Aside from Thomas, Keon Johnson (2-for-4) was the only player to shoot 50% or better from the field. However, Brooklyn shot an impressive 41.3% from three.

The loss was a heartbreaker, but a good sign for the future. It also reminded us that this cross-town rivalry isn’t dead.

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