NEW YORK _ The show had to go on.
The Knicks and Nets had no choice but to play their rivalry game with heavy hearts, on the same day Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles.
The Knicks won their 13th game of the season and handed the Nets their sixth loss in seven games in a 110-97 finish, but it was clear the outcome of the game was the last thing on anyone's mind.
"It was an emotional locker room. It was a quiet locker room. No one spoke for three hours before we tipped off," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame. "Sometimes there are no words, and I didn't have any words to console them. It is important that we were together, but emotional night for all of us."
The Knicks changed the color of their ceiling lights from orange and blue to purple and gold pregame. They gave Bryant a 24-second moment of silence ahead of the game, which was immediately followed by "KO-BE! KO-BE!" chants from the Madison Square Garden crowd.
New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets players stand on the court allowing the 24 second clock to wind down in a tribute to retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets players stand on the court allowing the 24 second clock to wind down in a tribute to retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. (Kathy Willens/AP)
"We were kind of in a fog. It was like everyone was in a daze. I know I was in a daze," Garrett Temple said. "You try to listen to the game plan, but obviously you've got something else weighing on your mind.
Both New York teams paid homage to Bryant by running their respective 24-second shot clocks out on the opening possessions of the game. There was no background noise or arena music for the first six minutes of the game. You could hear a pin drop at Madison Square Garden. The electricity was sapped from the building before the game ever began.
"I think we saw New York fans appreciate good basketball, and they always respect the great players that come through here," said Knicks head coach Mike Miller. "Obviously, the moment of silence, the ovation, both teams taking the 24-second clock down, and how many different times the fans were chanting his name. I thought that was a really classy tribute by the fans."
Mitchell Robinson gave the building some juice midway through the first quarter when he blocked Caris LeVert's floater on one end, ran the length of the floor and finished an alley-oop on the other. His moment served as a reminder for both players, coaches and fans: There was still a game that needed to be played.
The Knicks played that game better than the Nets Sunday evening. They made only six threes but scored 62 points in the paint against a Nets team without DeAndre Jordan, who has missed his last four games dating back to Jan. 15, when he dislocated the middle finger on his right hand against the 76ers.
The Nets also did not have Kyrie Irving, who left Madison Square Garden early once the Bryant news broke.
"Obviously, our leader Ky wasn't able to play," said Temple. "Obviously my thoughts go out to him, the Bryant family and other families on that helicopter. That was Spencer's idol. When I first thought about it, those were the two guys that I thought about most.
"We saw him last month. Both him and his daughter. It's tough."
Julius Randle turned in 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Marcus Morris scored 21 on 50% shooting from the field. Robinson came off the bench and scored 12 points. The Knicks outscored the Nets by 12 in his minutes on the floor.
The Knicks won every quarter of play, scoring in the mid-range when their perimeter shot wasn't falling. Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson ultimately emptied his bench with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter and his team down 13.
