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V for Victory! Knicks' Brunson, Hart Burn Bridges, End Losing Streak vs. Nets

The New York Knicks remained undefeated in the Josh Hart era to the tune of another Jalen Brunson showcase that ended one of the grimmer streaks on the Manhattan ledger.

Geoff Magliocchetti

In this story:

The New York Knicks have done the impossible: they've convinced New York City to place their faith in a pair from Philadelphia.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart's second collaboration echoed their first and paved the way to a 124-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Brunson (15-of-21 shooting) had 40 points, while his Villanova teammate Hart came off the bench for 27 points (getting a season-best on 10-of-14 from the floor) and five boards to help the Knicks (32-27) improve to 2-0 since the latter came over from Portland in a deal enacted shortly before the trade deadline.

Elsewhere in the Knicks' box score, victorious familiarity reigned: Julius Randle (18 points, 10 rebounds) placed another double-double while Immanuel Quickley handled a bulk of the bench scoring, at least beyond Hart (14 points).

With his point tally, Brunson reached at least 30 for the third straight game, his third such streak this season (becoming the first to earn three in a single season since Carmelo Anthony in 2012-13). The Knicks also ended a nine-game losing streak against their crosstown rivals, stopping the Nets two wins short of tying their longest tally in the set (1984-86). 

It was a 17-point output in the third quarter that set the pace for the Knicks victory. Brooklyn, which continues to be well-lauded for its defensive exploits, led 61-58 at the half before facing a taste of its own medecine over final 24 minutes. The Knicks outscored them 66-45 in the second, holding Brooklyn to 41 percent from the field and allowing only three triples, two coming from the arms of Dorian Finney-Smith. Ending another long streak of futility, the 124 points were the most the Knicks have put up on the Nets since March 1991, allowing the Knicks to build a healthy fourth quarter lead and even empty the bench to close things out.

Whereas deals at the deadline have energized the Knicks, the Nets (33-24) continue to sputter upon the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The main haul from the Irving deal with Dallas, Spencer Dinwiddie, led the Nets with 28 points while Brunson and Hart's fellow former Wildcat Mikal Bridges (a Phoenix transplant from the Durant deal) struggled to the tune of seven points on 2-of-8 shooting. 

Brooklyn fell to 2-4 since the Durant deal and continues to sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of seventh-place New York (who is now a half-game behind Miami for the sixth and final automatic East playoff spot).

One more meeting between the Knicks and Nets awaits this season, as Brooklyn returns to Manhattan on Mar. 1. 

The Knicks will play their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday night when they head south to take on the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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