NEW YORK _ There it was: Kyrie Irving vs. RJ Barrett with time expiring in the fourth quarter. Irving sized-up the rookie on the wing, his Nets down one after surrendering a 19-point lead. The All-Star guard lulled Barrett to sleep then side-stepped for a 3 that sent Barclays Center into a frenzy.
Game, Brooklyn.
The Nets would have you believe their cross-town rivalry game against the Knicks was just another ordinary game, but that was far from the case, as his team refused to drop two in a row with a 113-109 win on Friday. And if the Knicks even flirted with the idea of acting like this game wasn't important, they showed their hands at Barclays on Friday night.
New York's two basketball teams met for the first of four times this season, and the matchup did not disappoint. The game had everything fans of both teams wanted to see.
There was a shoving match between Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince, who came to Kyrie Irving's aid after Portis tried to snatch a dead ball. Prince and Portis had to be separated and both were assessed technical fouls.
DeAndre Jordan and Marcus Morris got into it twice, once near the Knicks bench and again after Jordan forced a jump ball with rookie Barrett. Barrett (16 points) responded with back-to-back poster dunk attempts on Jordan's head, but missed both.
And Irving (26 points), fresh off a 50-point performance in the loss to the Timberwolves, attempted to snatch ankles off every defender in his path, though that has and may always be the norm. The All-Star guard, though, hit the clutch 3 in Barrett's face after coming up short at the buzzer against the Wolves.
"I love this man," Irving said after the game. "This is our home. This is our home."
It was about time he got a big shot to drop.
For the Knicks, Allonzo Trier, Kevin Knox and Wayne Ellington were the surprise stars preventing a blowout across the bridge. Trier, who came off the bench after starting in the season opener, scored a team-high 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Knox (16 points) provided cover fire, shooting a perfect 4 of 4 from 3, and Ellington (nine points) let loose with 3-of-4 shooting from deep, as well.
The Knicks showed just because they're a team without a superstar doesn't mean they're not out to compete night-in and night-out. The Nets respected the roster the Knicks assembled over the summer, and their rival showed exactly why, clawing back from a near 20-point deficit.
Both teams will evolve over the course of this season, one with deep playoff aspirations, the other with the intention of improving on a franchise-worst record last season.
The Nets got the best of the Knicks this time, but one thing is clear. They were up for the challenge of protecting home court. And they had better be ready when they cross the bridge for the Nov. 24 rematch at Madison Square Garden.
