Knicks deliver record 54-point blowout to halt four-game skid
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NEW YORK — The Knicks stopped a four-game slide in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, crushing the Nets 120-66 at Madison Square Garden for the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Guard Jalen Brunson posted 20 points through three quarters, while Landry Shamet added 18 in 15 minutes, drilling all six of his three-point attempts. New York shot 57.5 percent from the field and led by as many as 59.
The matchup slipped away early. The starters built an 88-56 advantage after three periods, and the reserves opened the fourth with a 16-0 surge that turned the contest into a rout.
“We’ve been in the midst of a pretty rough stretch. It’s not about one game, it’s about continuing to build and grow,” Shamet said afterward.
Two days earlier, Brunson reportedly organized a players-only meeting following a loss to Dallas, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The focus, teammates said, was on fixing problems internally. “A win,” forward Karl-Anthony Towns noted. “That was the most important thing.”
The Knicks’ defense limited Brooklyn to 29 percent shooting and dominated transition opportunities, holding a 29-4 edge in fast-break points.
“I’m the one responsible,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said of the defeat.
New York has now taken 13 straight meetings with Brooklyn. The team heads to Philadelphia on Saturday to face an opponent that has already beaten the Knicks twice this season.
Source: Hoops Wire
