A Win is a Win, I Guess?

Final Score: Knicks 99 - Nets 95
Record: 29-16

The standings don't differentiate between pretty losses or ugly wins, so you take the "W" any way you can. Yet, Knicks fans likely didn't feel overjoyed walking away from Tuesday night's victory over the woebegone Nets.

New York played well early on, building a double-digit lead. However, the starters stumbled towards the end of the first quarter, allowing Brooklyn to regain the lead, but the Knicks bench provided a much-needed boost, spearheading a 12-2 run in the second quarter.

For the second straight night, a lineup consisting of four reserves (Deuce McBride, Cam Payne, Landry Shamet, Precious Achiuwa) playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns was solid on both ends of the floor, allowing the Knicks to build a 13-point lead midway through 2Q.

However, for some reason, coach Tom Thibodeau abandoned what worked the prior night and earlier in that same contest. The Knicks outscored the Nets by 10 points in the six minutes Shamet was on the floor in the first half, yet he remained glued to the pine after halftime. Cam Payne, who was a +15 Monday vs. Atlanta and a +12 in the second quarter vs. Brooklyn, didn't re-enter the contest until their 30 seconds left in the third and played just three minutes in the second half.

With nine minutes remaining in regulation, on the second night of a back-to-back, Thibs inserted Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson back in the game, hoping his starters would be able to close out the contest. The results were NOT pretty.