DiVincenzo scores 31 as the Knicks oust Nets

The New York Knicks marked their 42nd win of the season securing a convincing 105-93 victory against their crosstown rivals at the Garden last night.

Leading the charge for the Knicks was Donte DiVincenzo, who put on a solid performance with 31 points, leading all scorers. He was well-supported by Miles McBride, who contributed 26 points of his own, along with Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein, who each chipped in with 17 points.

Patrick Ewing, accompanied by his family, was present at the Garden and shared a touching moment as he reminisced about Jalen Brunson, whom he had known since Brunson was just 2 years old. Ewing expressed regret for not recruiting Brunson during his tenure coaching at Georgetown.

The Knicks seized control of the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Nets 25-16 to secure the victory. They demonstrated their defensive prowess by holding the Nets to just 6 points in the first 10 minutes of the final period, effectively stifling any comeback attempts.

With three minutes remaining in the third quarter and trailing 74-71, the Knicks closed out the period on a strong 9-3 run.

Former Villanova standout Mikal Bridges made his mark for the Nets with 18 points, including a remarkable 67 foot buzzer-beater at halftime to give the Nets a 57-56 edge at the break.

In the second half, DiVincenzo contributed 17 points, showing versatility by hitting 5 of 6 shots from inside the arc, despite struggling from long range, going just 2-8. Meanwhile, McBride had a strong first half, scoring 11 points while maintaining a perfect shooting record, going 4-4 from the field.

“They’re a hungry team, and we know you’ve got to play four quarters to beat them. I’m happy we did. And I’m happy we came out with the win.”

– Donte DiVincenzo

Deuce knocked down a crucial three-pointer, propelling the Knicks ahead 41-38, while DiVincenzo followed up with a basket to extend the lead to 43-38. Moments later, Brunson drove to the basket for a layup, stretching the Knicks’ lead to its largest margin of the half, 47-40.

Early in the second quarter, the Nets held a 34-28 lead in a game marked by 15 lead changes and 10 ties.

Josh Hart had a strong performance as well, collecting 13 rebounds while scoring 6 points and finishing with a game high 15 plus-.

With this win, the Knicks are back in 4th place, one game behind the Cavaliers and 0.5 games ahead of the Magic with 12 games to go.

Up-next: The Knicks (42-28) will host the Pistons (12-58) on Monday from 7:30pm.