How It Happened
With two of their three point guards hurt, the Knicks spent tonight's game in Brooklyn searching for the right combinations. Derek Fisher elected to use his fourth different starting lineup in six games and every Knick in uniform saw the court by the halfway mark of the second quarter, but nothing seemed to work as Brooklyn cruised to a 110-99 win.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (16 points, three rebounds, three assists) earned the start after playing a key role in Wednesday's comeback effort, but he, Iman Shumpert (11 points, five assists, four rebounds) and the rest of the team struggled to contain the Nets' backcourt of Deron Williams (29 points, six assists) and Joe Johnson (18 points, seven rebounds).
Brooklyn shot over 50 percent from the floor and 58 percent from 3. The Knicks had some success from 3, shooting 42 percent themselves, but trailed by 13 at halftime and couldn't get the stops necessary to mount a comeback.
Knick of the Night
Brooklyn did a nice job forcing Carmelo Anthony into difficult shots, but Melo managed to score 19 by connecting on eight of nine free throw attempts. He also dished out four assists and pulled down four rebounds in 35 minutes of action.
Game Notes
Cleanthony Early quadrupled his previous career high with 12 points on the night, including 3-of-5 from downtown.
Next Up
The Knicks fly to Atlanta tonight to take on the Hawks tomorrow on MSG.