New York Knicks Narrowly Defeat Brooklyn Nets on the Road, 93-92
The New York Knicks faced off against the Brooklyn Nets last night March 20, 2026, in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, NY. It was a nail bitter for most Knicks fans as they barely etched out the win over the starless Nets. Although it was a struggle, this victory marked the Knicks’ 14th consecutive win over them, which is the longest streak in the history of their rivalry. With several technicals handed out, the tension was high, and the rivalry between these two teams showed up in more places than just the scoreboard.
A Slow Start
The score was 9-3 Nets with a little under eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. Both teams were missing shots, and seemed as though they could not get into a rhythm. The Knicks shot an appalling 21% in the first quarter, while the Nets shot 41%, going 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. The first quarter ended with a buzzer beater from Nets Forward Josh Minott, putting them up 22-14 over the Knicks. Minott finished as the Nets leading scorer with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal.
The Nets were able to get up to a 13 point lead in the second quarter before the Knicks began to wake up and close the gap with a three pointer from Jalen Brunson, who finished the game with 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists. The Knicks outscored the Nets in the second quarter 30-28 to narrow the deficit to six points by the half. The second quarter ended 50-44 with the Nets in the lead.
It Was a Close One
While missing Josh Hart due to right knee patellofemoral syndrome, the Knicks eventually took control in the third quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 31-15. After trailing at the half the Knicks went on a 7-0 run, and took their first lead of the night off a made three-pointer from Towns. “Mr. Double-Double” finished the night with 26 points, 15 rebounds, adding one steal and one assist.
The lead shifted back to the Nets later in the third quarter when Ziaire Williams made a layup followed by a dunk with 3:28 remaining in the quarter to put the Nets up by one. Williams contributed 17 points and four rebounds in the matchup. The Knicks immediately responded with an 11-0 run to close the quarter, a lead they would keep until late in the fourth.
Rivalry Tension that Remains
This game featured several heated moments, resulting in multiple technical fouls for both teams. Mitchell Robinson and Williams were both assessed technical fouls after a confrontation involving several Nets players. OG Anunoby and Nic Claxton both received technical fouls following a late third-quarter shoving incident.
The Knicks started the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, 75-65. They were up by 14 points at one point, but with a little over two minutes left in the game, the Nets went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead, 87-86. The Knicks reclaimed a 92-87 advantage with 1:04 remaining off of back-to-back baskets from Brunson, and a strong finish from Towns.
After two missed free-throws from Mikal Bridges and one from Brunson, the Nets pulled to within one following a three-pointer by Nolan Traore with 5.4 seconds left. Traore finished with 11 points, two rebounds and seven assists.
Towns missed two free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining, giving the Nets a final shot, however Ben Saraf missed a 45-foot jumper at the buzzer, and the Knicks came out with the win 93-92.
FAQ Section
Q: What was the final score?
A: 93-92
Q: Who was the MVP of the game?
A: Karl-Anthony Towns
Q: What was the turning point?
A: After blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, the Knicks reclaimed a 92-87 advantage with 1:04 remaining.
What’s Next For Each Team?
The Knicks improved to 46-25 to extend their winning streak to five games, and will return to Madison Square Garden to face off against the Washington Wizards who have already been eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday. Head coach Mike Brown will be monitoring Landry Shamet, who left the game with a right knee injury and did not return.
The Nets fell to 17-53, and will head out on a four-game road trip through the Western Conference starting with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Having been officially eliminated from playoff contention, head coach Jordi Fernandez will likely focus on the development of young players like Minott and Saraf.
