BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Interstat) — The New York Knicks escaped with a 93-92 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at Barclays Center, overcoming a late rally. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 26 points and 15 rebounds. The Nets’ Josh Minott scored 22 points. Brooklyn led by eight after the first quarter, but New York used a strong third quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Nets clawed back, taking a brief lead in the fourth quarter and tying the game on a Nolan Traore jumper with 5.4 seconds left. Jalen Brunson, who had 17 points and eight assists, hit the winning free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining. Attendance was 18,017. The Knicks improved to 47-26, while the Nets fell to 17-53.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Interstat) — In a season defined by their dominance, the New York Knicks found themselves in an unexpected street fight Friday night. Facing a Brooklyn Nets team with the league’s second-worst record, the Knicks needed every bit of Karl-Anthony Towns’ interior mastery and a final defensive stand to escape Barclays Center with a 93-92 victory before a crowd of 18,017. The game, which saw the Knicks favored by 18.5 points, defied all pregame projections. National Statistical’s ELO system had given New York an 87.3% probability to win, but the Nets, energized by young players with little to lose, turned the crosstown matchup into a tense, possession-by-possession struggle that was not decided until the final buzzer. The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the closing seconds. After the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson missed a second free throw with 10.5 seconds left, preserving a precarious 93-92 lead, the Nets had a chance to win. Following a timeout, Brooklyn inbounded to rookie guard Nolan Traore, who drove the lane and hit a tough, floating pull-up jumper from 22 feet to seemingly put the Nets ahead with 5.4 seconds remaining. However, the play was whistled dead as Traore was called for an offensive foul for pushing off against the Knicks’ Mohamed Diawara before the shot. After a video review, the call was upheld, negating the basket and turning the ball over to New York. The Knicks then successfully inbounded and ran out the clock to secure the narrow win. The dramatic finish capped a game where the Knicks never found a consistent rhythm but relied on their star power when it mattered. Towns, the 7-foot center from Edison, New Jersey, was the anchor, finishing with 26 points and 15 rebounds in just 29 minutes. His performance continued a stellar stretch, coming off a 22-point, 11-rebound effort in a win over Indiana earlier in the week. Brooklyn, which fell to 17-53, was led by a relentless effort from forward Josh Minott. The Boca Raton, Florida native scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out two assists, often serving as the primary offensive catalyst. Forward Ziaire Williams added 17 points, while Traore, despite the crucial late foul, finished with 11 points and seven assists. The game’s flow was erratic from the start. The Nets, playing with palpable energy, led 22-14 after the first quarter behind hot outside shooting. New York responded with a 30-point second quarter to take a 44-50 lead into halftime, but the Nets weathered the storm. A stifling Knicks defense held Brooklyn to just 15 points in the third quarter, allowing New York to build a 75-65 advantage heading into the final period. Yet, the young Nets refused to capitulate. They opened the fourth quarter on a 16-2 run, fueled by Minott and Williams, to take an 81-77 lead. The teams then traded blows down the stretch. Brunson, who struggled with his shot for much of the night, hit key baskets late, finishing with 17 points and eight assists. A driving layup by Towns off a Brunson assist with 1:04 left gave the Knicks a 93-87 cushion, setting the stage for the frantic finale. Brooklyn scored the next five points, culminating in Chaney Johnson’s dunk with 7.1 seconds left to cut the deficit to one. After Brunson was fouled and split his free throws, the stage was set for Traore’s ill-fated potential game-winner. OG Anunoby provided crucial support for New York with 16 points, while Mikal Bridges contributed nine points and eight rebounds. Mitchell Robinson protected the rim with three blocks and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. The victory improved the Knicks’ record to 47-26 as they continue to solidify their playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. They will host the Washington Wizards on Sunday. The Nets, despite the heartbreaking loss, showed significant fight compared to their previous meeting with the Knicks, a 120-66 demolition at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 21. They begin a six-game Western Conference road trip in Sacramento on Sunday. The total points scored, 185, went well under the over/under line of 215.5, a testament to the gritty, defensive-minded struggle that defined the contest far more than the lopsided result many had anticipated.

NEW YORK (Interstat) — A surging New York Knicks squad, firmly entrenched in the Eastern Conference’s upper tier, will look to continue their dominance over their intracity rival when they visit the struggling Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at Barclays Center. The Knicks (46-25) enter on a roll, having won seven of their last 10 games, including a 136-110 demolition of Indiana on Tuesday. They have been particularly dominant against the Nets this season, winning all three meetings by an average margin of 30.3 points. The most recent matchup, a 120-66 rout on Jan. 21, 2026, was the most lopsided. New York’s success has been fueled by a balanced attack, but guard Josh Hart has been a catalyst. He is coming off a career-high 33-point performance against the Pacers, adding seven rebounds and five assists in just 26 minutes. Over his last 10 games, Hart has averaged a near triple-double of 12.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists, providing relentless energy on both ends. The Nets (17-51), owners of the league’s worst record, are mired in a 1-9 slump over their last 10 games. They are coming off a 114-95 home loss to Portland on Monday. Rookie forward Chaney Johnson has shown flashes, scoring 17 points with nine rebounds in that contest, and will be a focal point for Brooklyn’s rebuilding efforts. For the Knicks, this game represents a critical opportunity to solidify playoff positioning before a challenging four-game road trip that begins next week. The Nets, meanwhile, are simply searching for any positive momentum during a lost season, with a daunting six-game road swing looming after this contest. Barclays Center will host the 8 p.m. EDT tipoff. Based on the stark disparity in records and recent history, the Knicks are heavy favorites, but the intensity of a city rivalry always carries the potential for an unexpected spark.