The second edition of the renewed "battle of the boroughs" rivalry certainly lived up to the standard set by the season's first showdown between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, as Carmelo Anthony's 45 points helped the Knicks come back to beat the Nets, 100-97.
Knicks vs. Nets final score: Anthony’s 45 and Kidd’s late three seal win for Knicks
Carmelo Anthony scores 44 points to help lead the Knicks to a comeback victory, but it’s Jason Kidd’s late three that gives the Knicks the 100-97 victory to even the season series at 1-1.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
But with the game tied at 97 with less than 30 seconds remaining, it was Knicks guard Jason Kidd's three that proved the final margin of victory for New York to even the season series at one win apiece early in the year. Here's video of the sequence.
Kidd finished the night with 18 points and six assists.
The Nets got out to a fast start early, outscoring the Knicks 30-16 in the first quarter and held off a few Knicks charges in the first three quarters to hold a 79-74 lead headed into the fourth quarter. Nets forward Andray Blatche, who finished with a team-high 23 points, helped the Nets keep the Knicks at bay.
But the Knicks stepped it up in the final period, as they took their first lead at 93-91 with 2:45 left. The Nets tied the score a few times in the final moments, including at 97 after a series of strange events, but Kidd's big three sealed the Knicks' 16th win of the season.
The Nets suffered their fifth straight loss despite Deron Williams' double-double of 18 points and 10 assists.
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