NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks faced off for the first time this season on Wednesday in the Battle of the Boroughs. Unfortunately, for the Nets, the night didn’t just end in a loss, but a lopsided one as well. The Knicks were taking it to the Nets all game long.
“They were more physical,” Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas said after the deflating 121-102 loss to their cross-town rivals. Thomas had 20 points and five assists, but like his teammates, he wasn’t able to match the physicality of any of the New York players. The Knicks out-rebounded the Nets just 54-49, but New York was able to turn 12 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points.
“The rebounding was a difference,” Thomas explained. “They started crashing the glass. Getting second chance points that led to threes, driving kicking. So, they were just aggressive.” From the beginning, New York had in its gameplan to take the fight to Brooklyn head on despite the Knicks not having centers in Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims.
Knicks forward Julius Randle (26 points) was probably the most physical player on the court for both teams and the Nets did not have an answer for him outside of backup center Day’Ron Sharpe. Sharpe had nine points and 15 rebounds, but got into foul trouble that took him out of the game after the second quarter.
What was also evident was how much New York was hustling for rebounds and 50/50 balls that Brooklyn was just not fighting hard enough to get to. Effort and being willing to be physical were the factors that stood out in this game.
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