New York Knicks Defense Shows Up In Second Half vs Brooklyn Nets

The New York Knicks defense showed up against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half and propelled them to a victory.

The New York Knicks got off to yet another slow start Wednesday. The Brooklyn Nets were shooting the ball well in the first half and the Knicks looked well on their way to a brutal loss. While the Nets are playing better than people thought they would, this is a team the Knicks should handle easily, especially with Jeremy Lin out of the lineup.

The Nets were beating the Knicks with pick-and-roll offense and jumpers. The Nets started the game 5-for-10 from deep and the crowd at Madison Square Garden was dead quiet. There was no energy in the arena and the Knicks were playing like it.

The Nets would go up by as many as 14 points in the first half. The Knicks were able to whittle it down by halftime, going into the break down by five points. It was a performance that got head coach Jeff Hornacek heated, as Courtney Lee said he let the team have it in the locker room.

Respond they did. The Knicks ramped up the effort on the defensive end and it paid off. They held the Nets to 41 points as Ian Begley points out and kept Brooklyn in check. Without Lin, the only player the Nets have to really rely on is Brook Lopez.

Lopez scored 21 points, but the rest of the starting lineup managed only 26 points combined. They got a surprising 21 from Justin Hamilton off the bench, as he killed the Knicks in the first half with 15 points on 6-of-7 from the field, including three three-pointers.

But, like the rest of his teammates, Hamilton got nothing going in the second half. With the effort ramped up defensively the Knicks also began scoring at a better rate offensively. Carmelo Anthony got hot in the third quarter and helped get the Knicks the lead back.

More from New York Knicks

• New York Knicks Fall to Eighth After NBA Draft Lottery
• New York Knicks: Players to Draft in Worst-Case Lottery Scenario
• New York Knicks: Three Players Who Should Thrive Under Tom Thibodeau
• Is Devin Booker to the New York Knicks Realistic?
• New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau Officially Hired as Head Coach

Anthony began the game missing his first six shots. You wouldn’t have known it with how he played in the second half as he got into the zone. Anthony scored 14 points in the third quarter, nailing six consecutive shots at one point.

Anthony finished the game with a game-high 22 points but got some help from Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Jennings. The Nets were unable to contain Porzingis all game as he killed them from all over the court. He showed off his range with four three-pointers, threw down some dunks and showed off his defensive chops with some blocks as well.

Many of his baskets came courtesy of Jennings. Jennings got off to a rough start but found his groove as the game went on. He would finish the game with 11 assists in 27 minutes, finishing with an impressive +24 plus/minus ratio. He actually played more minutes than Derrick Rose tonight, as Jennings strong play kept Rose on the bench most of the second half.

It was the kind of performance the Knicks needed defensively as they have a big test this weekend. The competition level will shoot up as they have a back-to-back set against the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.

Next: New York Knicks 30 Greatest Players Of All-Time

Both games will be on the road and will be a test for the Knicks. They looked to find some things that worked against the Nets so hopefully they can carry that over to the games against the Celtics and Raptors this weekend. It will be a good barometer of where the Knicks are at as the Celtics and Raptors are two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.