Nets left frustrated after failing again to end…
Don’t suppose for a second the Nets didn’t care about breaking their skid against the Knicks, and that they don’t care about pushing back on the skin world making enjoyable of them.
Undersized and undermanned, yes. But watch Josh Minott and Brooklyn’s bench lead a close to comeback in their 93-92 heartbreaker Friday evening at Barclays Center. And pay attention to Minott in the painful aftermath, and it will be clear just how a lot it meant.
“I wanted that s–t so f–king bad,” said a visibly galled Minott, who had 22 factors on a career-best 6-for-9 from deep. “Ever since we’ve been right here, it’s like every sport is an away sport. [Friday] was just the evening to actually just stick it to all people, man. As an group, as a group, to show people that we bought s–t right here, yo.
Josh Minott, who scored 22 factors off the bench, shoots a jumper over Jalen Brunson during the Nets’ 93-92 loss to the Knicks on March 20, 2026 at Barclays Center. Jason Szenes for New York Post
“Man, just a sea of blue, a sea of orange. Every game we play, it’s a sea of the other team. And I saw it here when I was on the Celtics. But being here, it’s like, I’ve got nothing but respect for the real fans, the real Brooklyn fans. Shoutout to them, because I know it’s tough being outnumbered every single game. But I really feel like what we have here isn’t bulls–t. We have pieces here. I’ve seen it. That’s what this ‘rivalry’ meant to me.”
Yes, Minott actually used “air quotes” with his palms.
The Nets (17-53) have dropped 14 straight in this sequence and haven’t crushed the Knicks since Jan. 28, 2023. That consists of getting routed 120-66 at the Garden on Jan. 21 and drilled 134-98 at home Nov. 9.
But at least Friday they confirmed some delight. And some grit.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 factors and 15 rebounds and had more free-throw makes an attempt (13) than the Nets did as a group (10).
But Brooklyn swarmed and swiped and shoved and was bodily with Towns in a first half that noticed them lead 50-44.
“I played with KAT for 2 ½ years, man. I know him like this. He don’t like physicality,” Minott said. “I love KAT, but he don’t like physicality. That’s my boy, too, but he don’t like physicality. I hope this angers him, too. But yeah, we were real connected on bringing that physicality to him.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 26 factors and grabbed 15 rebounds, drives past Nolan Traore during the Nets’ loss to the Knicks at Barclays Center. Jason Szenes for New York Post
The Nets led by as a lot as 45-32 with 3:55 left in the half on a 3-pointer by Ziaire Williams (17 factors).
They still led 59-55 before they gave up a 20-6 run to fall behind by 10.
Down 84-70 on a Towns bucket with 9:34 to play, a bench unit of Minott and 4 rookies sparked a 17-0 run.
They held the Knicks scoreless for 6:21, with Chaney Johnson, Ochai Agbaji and Malachi Smith — two two-way gamers and a 10-day contract participant — enjoying feisty protection.
But after rookie Nolan Traore (11 factors, seven assists) put the Nets up 87-84 with 3:33 left, they gave up eight unanswered. Jalen Brunson put the Knicks up with consecutive buckets, and Brooklyn couldn’t reply.
The Nets (17-53) are third in the lottery odds, pulling within two video games of Indiana and a half-game of Washington.
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