After 43-point outburst, Knicks neutralize Cam Thomas in 114-104 victory over Nets

When you chopped disconnected the caput of the snake, everything changes.

The Knicks, inactive stinging from Cam Thomas’ 43-point detonation successful Friday’s constrictive victory implicit their cross-bridge rival Nets, made definite not to fto past repetition itself connected Sunday, erstwhile the Nets returned for a 2nd crippled against the aforesaid squad conscionable 48 hours later.

Ahead of tipoff, caput manager Tom Thibdoeau said it was bully to spot the aforesaid squad doubly successful a row.

“You’re astir apt seeing that a small spot much present than you person successful the past,” helium said. “I similar that; it minimizes the travel; I deliberation prime of play successful those games is high. It’s akin to playoffs successful the consciousness that you’re playing the aforesaid squad again. I deliberation immoderate clip that happens, it’s bully preparation. You spot it each the time. I deliberation the urgency successful those games, being acquainted with each other. The strength seems to beryllium precise high”

This time, New York took the level with a wide mission: disrupt Thomas early, bounds his impact, and unafraid a much decisive win.

The accommodation paid off. Instead of assigning Mikal Bridges to defender Thomas, arsenic they did connected Friday, Tom Thibodeau switched antiaircraft stopper OG Anunoby onto Brooklyn’s prima scorer. The effect was palpable: Thomas, who had torched the Knicks for 17 first-quarter points and 5 made threes successful Game 1, ne'er recovered his rhythm.

Anunoby smothered Thomas from the opening tip, holding him to conscionable 13 points successful the archetypal fractional and 16 for the crippled connected 4-of-11 shooting. Thomas managed conscionable 1 three-pointer connected 4 attempts, a stark opposition to his effortless scoring show conscionable 2 nights prior. The Knicks’ antiaircraft strategy suffocated Brooklyn’s discourtesy and the Nets ne'er mounted a superior situation successful a wire-to-wire 114-104 Knicks triumph astatine Madison Square Garden.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ instrumentality from a genu contusion besides played a important relation successful the win.

Without Towns connected Friday, the Knicks relied connected Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti to anchor the halfway position, but his beingness connected Sunday was a reminder of what the Knicks look similar connected some ends of the level erstwhile their All-Star large antheral is connected the floor.. Towns dominated successful the overgarment and showcased his versatility, finishing with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. His physicality astatine the rim and quality to make for teammates acceptable the code for New York’s occurrence connected some ends of the floor.

While the Knicks successfully neutralized Brooklyn’s pb guard, different troubling inclination persisted: defending the three-point line.

The Nets connected connected 17 of their 41 three-point attempts, shooting 41.5% from deep. Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith each went 4-of-7 from downtown, Dennis Schroder and Noah Clowney added 2 triples apiece, and second-year guardant Jalen Wilson chipped successful 3 treys for 15 points disconnected the bench.

Anunoby, who excelled connected some ends, finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Bridges, facing his erstwhile squad for the 2nd consecutive game, added 21 points connected 9-of-18 shooting. Meanwhile, the Nets’ antiaircraft absorption connected Jalen Brunson paid dividends, arsenic the Knicks skipper struggled to find his shot. Brunson scored conscionable 12 points connected 3-of-14 shooting but offset his violative woes with 10 assists.

Miles McBride missed his 2nd consecutive game, the archetypal owed to an unwellness and Sunday’s owed to a genu issue, but Cam Payne stepped up and deed 3 large 3s for 9 points disconnected the bench.

The back-to-back victories propulsion the Knicks supra .500 astatine 7-6 arsenic they hole for the 2nd limb of a back-to-back against the struggling Washington Wizards (2-10) connected Monday.

Despite a dilatory commencement to the season, the Knicks look a favorable docket successful the coming weeks. Their five-game, 10-day roadworthy travel features matchups against shorthanded Phoenix, rebuilding Utah, underperforming Denver, powerhouse Dallas and fast-paced Charlotte.