It’s one more needle in the skin of the Knicks. Unable to qualify for the play-offs, or even the play-in, when they finished in the top 4 of the regular season in the East in 2021, the New Yorkers also experienced the humiliation of losing all derbies to the Nets in 2021-22.
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The last, played Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, was however off to a good start for Evan Fournier (8 points at 3/9, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 29 minutes) and his family. They were up to 21 points ahead just after half-time (71-50, 25th) despite the absence of their three main interiors, Julius Randle (quadriceps), Mitchell Robinson (sick) and Nerlens Noel (foot ).
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They still managed to lose with a double-digit gap (98-110) by registering only 31 points in the second half (against 38 in the second quarter). Unsurprisingly, Kevin Durant, who signed his first triple double in 2022 (32 points including 23 in the second half, 11 assists, 10 rebounds), and Kyrie Irving (24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), initiated this reversal.
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“We know how much Knicks fans don’t like us, especially since Kyrie and I opted out of signing for their team. »
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“We know how much Knicks fans don’t like us, especially since Kyrie and I opted out of signing for their team. It obviously adds spice to this rivalry.said Durant, whose team, which points to eighth place in the East, is preparing to go through the play-in.
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It’s been nine years since Kevin Durant lost a game against the Knicks, 12 consecutive victories. His last loss was in 2013, when he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Brooklyn is tied with Atlanta, who beat Washington (118-103) with 30 points and 11 assists from Trae Young, but has the advantage over the Hawks in particular duels (2 v.-1 d.), the criterion n°1 to decide between the ex aequo. On Friday, the Nets could take seventh place from the Cleveland Cavs, which they will receive and on which they also have the particular advantage.
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The idea behind all this is of course to avoid the colossal disappointment that an absence from the play-offs would constitute, while Brooklyn has the second largest payroll in the NBA, and therefore to get out of the play-in as quickly as possible. by winning the duel of the 7th against the 8th next week.
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That would send the Nets facing second in the East in the first round. This place is currently occupied by Boston, an extremely difficult team to beat at the moment and which has just crushed the Bulls last night in Chicago (94-117) by limiting the DeRozan-Lavine duo to 23 points, 30 less than their usual average. The Durant-Irving duo (former Celtics) is warned.
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