Nets – Knicks: and Kyrie Irving entered the scene …

The first meeting between the two teams on November 9 at the Barclays Center was a real butcher (112-85 in favor of the Nets). The second round, this time still in Brooklyn, was more intense, but the result was the same: a team victory. net (122-115).

In control (62-49) in the first half, thanks to a diabolical edge against a defense (11/21) Knicks Completely disinterested, the Nets then faced better resistance from their teammates Jalen Brunson and Julius Randlefinally decided to defend and then turned to -7 at the end of the third quarter (88-81).

The “Big Apple” at Kyrie Irving’s Feet

Then the last quarter debate and the start of the “show”. Kyrie Irving at the same time. Although he had scored just 11 points up to that point, the leader added 12 points in the first half of this latest action.

But his team, after charging behind by 14 points a few minutes earlier, regained possession with three minutes to go (108-105), when the Knicks seriously began to believe in their chances of “comeback”.

So he decided to add a layer to avoid a disaster scenario: 9 extra points in the final three minutes, including two game-winning shots, to defeat Manhattan’s neighbors! In the end, “KAI” scored 21 goals in this final quarter (8/14 shooting), but also finished with 32 points, including 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

An XXL performance to lead his nation to a narrower-than-expected victory and a welcome rebound from a surprise loss against the Pistons.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– The Knicks were close to catching, but the Nets had a superstar in their ranks. Finally, here’s the first observation that comes to mind: without this phenomenal hot shot by Kyrie Irving in the “money-time”, the Knicks would have surely punctuated their “comeback” and won this game. But with ifs, we remake the world, and it turns out that the Nets point guard was especially poised and decisive in the heat of the moment, and he carried his team by avoiding a Knicks heist in the final period. It’s the Knicks that this game should definitely be a “reality check”: they’re a good team, but unlike the Nets (and the Bucks, 76ers, and Cavaliers), they don’t have that superstar in their lineup that can let you down. fight against other superstars in crucial moments. This is what currently separates New York from the Top 5 of the Eastern Conference.

– The duel of styles and modernity won. On the one hand, a Knicks team that shoots the racket, scores 68 points in the field, but only hits ten award-winning shots (out of 28 attempts). On the contrary, the Nets team (34 points), who had little space in the racket, but on the other hand, with a great result of 22/40, the pellets rained down behind the arc! And in the end, Brooklyn completely destroyed their opponents’ advantage in the interior sector with 66 points from long range, reminding us of the critical importance of the prize-winning shot in today’s basketball. As a symbol, two daggers In the final minutes, Kyrie Irving was hit with… a shot from the outside. Once again, Tom Thibodeau and modernity have not proven to be particularly compatible…

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Nic Claxton. Although Mitchell Robinson still isn’t with the Knicks, the young Nets center had fun near the rim, mostly hitting wide-open dunks (6/6 on shots). So his 13 points are accompanied by 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks, perhaps the most important game of the game for the Nets since Kyrie Irving.

✅ Royce O’Neal and Joe Harris. Taking advantage of the Knicks’ defensive width in the backcourt, the two starting wing players hit 4 award-winning shots apiece to power the offense. take over Kyrie Irving at the end of the game. Far from being one-dimensional, they also brought in 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

✅⛔️ Julius Randle. An honest but forgettable performance for the Knicks power forward. If he didn’t get too far from a triple-double (19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists), his investment really left something to be desired, with generally confused decision-making, some even leading to 3-ball turnovers. In short, it was once again important, but less acute than usual.

✅ Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks continue game after game to be a source of satisfaction, regardless of the outcome. With 16 points (4/7 from beyond the arc), 6 rebounds and 3 assists, he once again showed off his impressive play volume in several areas, establishing himself as the only truly reliable replacement on offense in coach Tom’s tight rotation. Thibodeau.

⛔️ The Knicks Defense. It’s really hard to win when you miss 22 game-winning shots, including 11 in the first half, which led to a 19-point deficit before halftime! While their two previous successes against the Cavaliers and Celtics were largely due to their defense, the Knicks had the bad idea to drag their feet when their opponents caught fire from behind the arc. There was a better second-half streak starting in the second half of the third quarter, but it wasn’t enough in the end to present a shadow of opposition to Kyrie Irving in terms of money. “Knicks” lost that game in the first half.

NEXT

– Nets (30-19): Lakers reception, Monday through Tuesday night (01:30).

– Knicks (27-24): Lakers reception too, but the next night (01:30).