Reggie Bullock fueled a decisive third-quarter run by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers -- including the basket that gave New York the lead for good -- in the Knicks' 110-97 victory against the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
As with all NBA games Sunday, the final regular-season meeting between the Big Apple rivals was overshadowed by the news of Kobe Bryant's death several hours earlier. The former Los Angeles Lakers star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna reportedly were killed in a helicopter crash.
Julius Randle had 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Knicks won for just the third time in 13 games. Marcus Morris Sr. scored 21 points, Taj Gibson scored 11 points and Bullock added 10 points. Mitchell Robinson (12 points) and Frank Ntilikina (11 points) each scored double digits off the bench.
Spencer Dinwiddle scored 23 points for the Nets, who have lost six of seven and are 3-14 since Christmas. Taurean Prince had 14 points while Rodions Kurucs scored 12 points. Joe Harris and Garrett Temple added 11 points apiece.
Prince's 3-pointer with 10:07 left in the third gave the Nets their first lead since the first quarter. Brooklyn expanded the lead 63-59 before a putback by Gibson started a 14-3 run for New York, which went ahead for good on Bullock's first 3-pointer with 8:08 left.
The Knicks took their first double-digit lead on Damyean Dotson's layup in the final minute of the third quarter and never led by fewer than nine in the fourth quarter.
Before the opening tip, Madison Square Garden was darkened except for purple and gold -- the Lakers' colors -- atop the ceiling and a picture of Bryant on the scoreboard and his numbers, 8 and 24, lit up in purple and gold on the floor. The arena's public address announcer read a tribute to Bryant that mentioned his then-MSG record 61-point performance against the Knicks on Feb. 2, 2009. A 24-second moment of silence was then held, with the clock running down on the shot clocks perched atop each basket.
With the crowd, as well as players on both teams standing and applauding, the Nets and Knicks traded 24-second shot clock violations to open the game, as most teams did on the first possession of each possession Sunday afternoon and evening. Chants of "Kobe Bryant" rang out in the game's final minutes.
--Field Level Media
