Bruce Brown warned the Knicks fans not to talk too much trash to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in their first game together in the Garden. They didn’t listen.
They did pay, though.
After Brooklyn dug a huge halftime hole, and Irving got into a verbal altercation with a fan headed into the locker room, the Nets stormed back for a much-needed 110-98 victory.
The Nets, who trailed by as much as 21 in the third quarter, used a 20-2 blitz that spanned the third and fourth to take the lead. And after the Knicks tried to settle themselves and retake it, Brooklyn closed the game on a 16-2 run.
Brooklyn moved a half-game ahead of Atlanta and sits eighth in the East.
“It’s going to be big … it’s always a close game when we play them. So hopefully we can blow them out [Wednesday]. It’s gonna be what the first game we play both Ky and KD. I know they’re gonna be super excited,” Brown had predicted, adding, “I don’t think they want to say too many bad things because it’ll be two 50-balls if they try talking.”
Kevin Durant, who scored 32 points, goes up for a dunk during the second half of the Nets’ 110-98 win over the Knicks.Jason Szenes
There weren’t a couple of 50-point explosions, but Durant had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 boards while Irving had 24 points.
Alec Burks (24 points) and RJ Barrett (23) led the Knicks, but after the home team took a 71-50 lead on Barrett’s third-quarter bucket, the Nets turned it on.
“This is a road game against a local rival, so hopefully there’s more juice and more on the line,” Steve Nash said.
“Tell them before every game against a team that’s not up high in the standings, do not take this team lightly, they’re going to look at this as a great opportunity. They’re going to come out and try to prove who they are and what they can do. We talk about it, but we’re human beings and it’s not as easy as just saying it.”
Kyrie Irving, who…