When you cut off the head of the snake, everything changes.
The Knicks, still stinging from Cam Thomas’ 43-point explosion in Friday’s narrow victory over their cross-bridge rival Nets, made sure not to let history repeat itself on Sunday, when the Nets returned for a second game against the same team just 48 hours later.
Ahead of tipoff, head coach Tom Thibdoeau said it was good to see the same team twice in a row.
“You’re probably seeing that a little bit more now than you have in the past,” he said. “I like that; it minimizes the travel; I think quality of play in those games is high. It’s similar to playoffs in the sense that you’re playing the same team again. I think any time that happens, it’s good preparation. You see it all the time. I think the urgency in those games, being familiar with each other. The intensity seems to be very high”
This time, New York took the floor with a clear mission: disrupt Thomas early, limit his impact, and secure a more decisive win.
The adjustment paid off. Instead of assigning Mikal Bridges to guard Thomas, as they did on Friday, Tom Thibodeau switched defensive stopper OG Anunoby onto Brooklyn’s star scorer. The result was palpable: Thomas, who had torched the Knicks for 17 first-quarter points and five made threes in Game 1, never found his rhythm.
Anunoby smothered Thomas from the opening tip, holding him to just 13 points in the first half and 16 for the game on 4-of-11 shooting. Thomas managed just one three-pointer on four attempts, a stark contrast to his effortless scoring display just two nights prior. The Knicks’ defensive strategy suffocated Brooklyn’s offense and the Nets never mounted a serious challenge in a wire-to-wire 114-104 Knicks victory at Madison Square Garden.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ return from a knee contusion also played a crucial role in the win.
Without Towns on Friday, the Knicks relied on Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti to anchor the center position, but his presence on Sunday was a reminder of what the Knicks look like on both ends of the floor when their All-Star big man is on the floor.. Towns dominated in the paint and showcased his versatility, finishing with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. His physicality at the rim and ability to create for teammates set the tone for New York’s success on both ends of the floor.
While the Knicks successfully neutralized Brooklyn’s lead guard, another troubling trend persisted: defending the three-point line.
The Nets connected on 17 of their 41 three-point attempts, shooting 41.5% from deep. Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith each went 4-of-7 from downtown, Dennis Schroder and Noah Clowney added two triples apiece, and second-year forward Jalen Wilson chipped in three treys for 15 points off the bench.
Anunoby, who excelled on both ends, finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Bridges, facing his former team for the second straight game, added 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Meanwhile, the Nets’ defensive focus on Jalen Brunson paid dividends, as the Knicks captain struggled to find his shot. Brunson scored just 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting but offset his offensive woes with 10 assists.
Miles McBride missed his second consecutive game, the first due to an illness and Sunday’s due to a knee issue, but Cam Payne stepped up and hit three big 3s for nine points off the bench.
The back-to-back victories push the Knicks above .500 at 7-6 as they prepare for the second leg of a back-to-back against the struggling Washington Wizards (2-10) on Monday.
Despite a slow start to the season, the Knicks face a favorable schedule in the coming weeks. Their five-game, 10-day road trip features matchups against shorthanded Phoenix, rebuilding Utah, underperforming Denver, powerhouse Dallas and fast-paced Charlotte.