Following their victory over the Jazz on Saturday, the Knicks didn’t slow down one bit against the Nets, taking them down 124-106. This is New York’s fourth win in its last six games and its first W over the Nets since 2020.
This Nets squad isn’t nearly as good as they were last week, but this is still a pretty darn solid team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It’s still an impressive win for the Knicks.
The biggest takeaway from this game outside of Jalen Brunson’s masterclass, which has been a common theme all season, is how well Josh Hart played. We all know how talented Hart is, but he stepped up in a huge way against the Knicks and made the trade that brought him to New York look even better.
Josh Hart showcases all of his best attributes against the Nets in Knicks win
Hart has been an incredibly solid player all season long and he has even showcased how good of a bench option he is for the Knicks. However, on Monday Hart was nothing short of fantastic on both sides of the ball and fans are starting to fall in love.
In just 25 minutes of play, Hart racked up 27 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal while shooting 10-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. Hart showcased an incredible layup package this game, hitting several incredibly difficult shots at the rim alongside his solid three-point shooting.
The best part about Hart’s game isn’t even his offense, it’s his hustle and effort on defense and his rebounding that brings so much excitement to the floor. The Knicks got an absolute stud at the trade deadline, so shoutout to Leon Rose for completely fleecing the Blazers.
Alongside this masterful performance from Hart was an even better game from his former Villanova teammate and should-be All-Star, Jalen Brunson, who scored a ridiculously efficient 40 points alongside five dimes.
Brunson has been absolutely ridiculous since the New Year, averaging 29.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting an incredible 50.5% from the field and 46.5% from three on 5.1 attempts in his last 20 games (excluding Monday’s win).
It is absolutely mind-boggling that Brunson didn’t make the All-Star game and this recent stretch of games has made it even harder to deny him the spot he deserves.
While these two players were fantastic for New York, it’s time to talk about a player who has been struggling as of late, RJ Barrett.
The game of basketball has been too kind to Barrett recently on either side of the ball. Both fans and coaches are starting to notice it and Monday was no different, as Barrett scored just four points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field in 24 minutes.
These struggles have been a common theme for Barrett recently, who is averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting a disgusting 35.6% from the field and 26.6% from downtown on 6.0 attempts per game.
Alongside this, his defense has been rather bad both on and off the ball and is something he MUST work on. If your shots aren’t going to fall you must contribute elsewhere and Barrett hasn’t been doing that at all.
I have all the faith in the world that Barrett will start to turn things around soon, but these stretches of awful play cannot continue. Barrett is nearly through his fourth year in the league and it’s time for him to start playing more consistently.
The Knicks face off against the Hawks on Wednesday, marking their last game before the All-Star break. If New York can win its third in a row against Atlanta, it could be a huge momentum boost heading into the final stretch of the season.
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