Nets Look to Snap Skid Against Knicks in Third Crosstown Clash
The Brooklyn Nets are heading into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night with a clear goal: stop the bleeding. After dropping 12 straight games to the New York Knicks dating back to the 2022-23 season, Brooklyn is hoping the third time’s the charm this year.
Technically the road team, the Nets won’t have to travel far for this one-but the challenge ahead is more mental than geographical. They’ve already seen the Knicks twice this season, and both matchups ended in convincing losses. The most recent defeat was a 113-100 setback in late November, where Brooklyn’s offense never found its rhythm, shooting just 38% from the field and a rough 29% from deep.
“The first one obviously was not a pretty one,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said before the game. “Not a lot of good things to take from that one.
We want better than that. That’s just not us.”
He’s not wrong. The Nets were run off the floor in their first meeting with the Knicks on November 9, falling 134-98.
That game was defined by a sluggish start and a third-quarter meltdown that allowed New York to blow the doors open. It wasn’t just a loss-it was a statement from the Knicks, and not the kind Brooklyn wanted to hear.
In the second meeting, the Nets showed more fight but still couldn’t keep up. Despite finding some decent looks, the shots didn’t fall. Fernandez pointed to the team’s inefficiency from beyond the arc and the defensive struggles containing New York’s stars.
“We found good shots. I think we shot 29% [from three-point range], which was not good enough,” Fernandez said.
“Their main two players scored easily. I think they combined for 64 points, so we know that’s what they do.”
That duo-Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns-has been a problem for Brooklyn all season. Brunson’s craftiness and Towns’ versatility have consistently broken down the Nets’ defense, and Fernandez knows that if his team wants to have a chance this time around, it starts with tightening things up on the perimeter and on the glass.
“The focus has to be there,” he said. “The three-point line is the main focus and rebounding.
It’s good you play the third time against this team and the type of team they are. They’re built for the postseason, and it’s exciting.”
Brooklyn’s biggest issue in both matchups has been their inability to match the Knicks’ physicality from the opening tip. In the last game, they clawed their way back to within four points at halftime after a strong second-quarter push, but the energy and pace they needed to sustain that comeback never fully materialized.
“Last game, basically, we didn't give ourselves a chance because of the poor start,” Fernandez said. “We made an incredible effort at the end of that second quarter and cut it to four points, but we didn’t really find the pace and physicality of the game until a little later.”
That slow start has become a troubling trend, and against a team like the Knicks-who thrive on setting the tone early-it’s a recipe for disaster.
But there’s a glimmer of opportunity. The Knicks are currently riding a four-game losing streak of their own, and while they remain a playoff-caliber squad, they’ve shown some recent vulnerability. If the Nets can bring the energy from the jump, clean up their perimeter defense, and stay competitive on the boards, there’s a chance they could flip the script and finally get one over on their crosstown rival.
For Brooklyn, this isn’t just another game. It’s a shot at redemption, a chance to reset the tone of the rivalry, and maybe-just maybe-put an end to a frustrating losing streak that’s been hanging over them for far too long.