Knicks pull away in 3rd quarter to take second straight from Nets

Trendon Watford was cleared to play up of the Nets’ rematch against the Knicks connected Sunday astatine Madison Square Garden, but Brooklyn was inactive without a steadfast halfway and Karl-Anthony Towns was backmost connected the tribunal for New York aft missing Friday’s interborough clash due to the fact that of a genu injury.

Towns, 6-11, dominated the undersized Nets arsenic 1 would expect, finishing with 26 points and six assists successful the successful the Knicks’ 114-104 win. Brooklyn fell to 5-9 this play aft losing astatine The Garden for the 2nd clip successful 3 days.

The Nets played a choky crippled successful the archetypal half, though Cam Thomas cooled disconnected considerably pursuing his 43-point show successful Friday’s 124-122 loss. The Knicks doubled him aboriginal and often, which forced others to measurement up offensively, namely Cam Johnson and Jalen Wilson.

Wilson scored 13 points connected 4-of-4 shooting disconnected the seat successful the 2nd 4th to assistance Brooklyn support gait with the Knicks portion Thomas and others were efficaciously neutralized. It went into the locker country trailing by lone 3 points. After hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer precocious successful 4th fourth connected Friday, Jalen Brunson was constricted to 3 points connected 0-of-5 shooting successful the archetypal half.

The Nets changeable 45.5% connected two-point attempts successful the archetypal fractional and the Knicks changeable 65.2%. Brooklyn changeable 44.4% from heavy successful the archetypal fractional (8-of-18), which helped support the crippled tight. It recovered large discourtesy erstwhile the Knicks would amusement 2 defenders Thomas, which created unfastened opportunities for others astir the perimeter.

Towns dropped 14 points successful the 3rd 4th portion the Knicks changeable 52.2% from the tract and forced six Nets turnovers, which resulted successful 9 points. They outscored Brooklyn 35-24 successful the play and entered the last framework starring 95-81, their largest vantage of the night.

The Nets scored 40 points successful the 4th fourth connected Friday, but determination was nary specified rally for Jordi Fernandez’s squad connected Sunday. Brooklyn was constricted to conscionable 33.3% shooting successful the last framework and went 5-of-13 from deep.

Johnson finished with a team-high 22 points for the Nets successful the loss. Thomas was held to 16 points connected 4-of-11 shooting and Wilson finished with 15 points disconnected the bench. Brooklyn was outscored 50-24 successful the paint.

Watford, successful his play debut, had 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists successful 14 minutes.

The Nets volition instrumentality to enactment connected Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets astatine Barclays Center.