The New York Knicks got themselves back on track in a big way on Monday, taking down the Brooklyn Nets en route to a dominant 113-100 victory. The Knicks now improve to 10-6 on the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns found his rhythm in the victory
Karl-Anthony Towns had not had a pleasant road trip leading up to this game. His road trip had been marred by shooting struggles and inconsistency on both ends. Against Brooklyn, however, he was a different specimen.
Towns dominated with a 37-point, 12-rebound performance on 14-for-20 shooting from the floor and 3-for-4 from three. He was noticeably much more aggressive in attacking the basket, and it was working for him, as he didn’t need to attempt a three-pointer until late in the third quarter.
He also had a strong defensive effort with two blocks on the night. Towns got the start at center with Mitchell Robinson out due to illness, and he arguably had his most impactful game on both ends so far this season.
Towns badly needed to have a game like this, as his previous few games had been a doozy for him. The hope is that this game can spark an upward trend of strong performances from the big man, and they will need more of that from him.
Jalen Brunson was efficient in the win
Jalen Brunson put in a strong performance as well, scoring 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the floor and 4-for-9 from three. Brunson was having his way all night long, and the Nets just had no answer for him.
Brunson has not missed a beat since returning from his two-game absence with that ankle injury, and he seems to be fully healthy. With him and Towns playing at their best, wins can come a lot easier for them.
The Knicks still had some trouble defending the three-point line
New York has had issues defending the three-point line all season, and they still had a bit of trouble doing so against Brooklyn, but it was also a step in the right direction.
The Nets knocked down 14 threes on the night as the Knicks forced them into attempting 48 threes. Despite the low efficiency from Brooklyn, New York still allowed them to get a lot of clean looks.
They had no answer for Noah Clowney, who finished with 31 points and shot 7-for-13 from the three-point line. Luckily, New York was able to come out on top with a win, but they would like to allow fewer open looks from three.
Overview
Though it is still early in the season, the Knicks needed a win like Monday’s. They’ll look to carry the momentum into Wednesday when they close out the road trip against the Charlotte Hornets.