New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets Match Player Stats On Dec 14, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 14, 2017

NEW YORK -- Courtney Lee scored a season-high 27 points as the New York Knicks lost Kristaps Porzingis to a left knee injury and blew an 18-point lead before pulling out a 111-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night.

The Knicks (15-13) won their third straight on a night when Porzingis exited in the third quarter with a sore left knee. Porzingis scored 13 points before departing with 9:25 remaining in the third.

Without Porzingis, the Knicks gave up the lead briefly late in the third but made enough plays down the stretch.

Lee led the Knicks by shooting 9 of 17 and came within three points of his career high set March 8, 2010. Michael Beasley, who replaced Porzingis, added 15 points, while Enes Kanter contributed 13 and nine rebounds.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored a career-high 26 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added a career-best 25 for Brooklyn (11-16), but the Nets gave up 24 points on 17 turnovers, missed 30 of 42 3-pointers and lost to the Knicks for the second time this season.

New York held a 65-57 lead when Porzingis exited and about four minutes later, Crabbe's 3-pointer gave the Nets a 75-73 lead. Brooklyn held an 82-79 lead on a 3-pointer by Carroll with 1:49 left but the Knicks scored the final eight points of the third to take an 87-82 lead.

Brooklyn got to within 100-97 on a put-back by DeMarre Carroll with 3:33 remaining, but rookie Frank Ntilikina's 3-pointer gave the Knicks a six-point lead with 3:09 remaining.

With 1:49 remaining, Caris LeVert then shot an airball on a contested 3-pointer and the Nets missed three putback attempts. The Nets won a jump ball but Carroll missed badly on an off-balance 20-footer and the Knicks iced the game on a right wing 3-pointer by Thomas with 67 seconds left before Lee hit four free throws in the waning seconds.

NOTES: New York G Tim Hardaway (stress injury lower left leg) missed his seventh straight game but said he is feeling better. Hardaway will be re-evaluated in a few days and if he is showing progress, he could progress to running and jumping. Hardaway also said he did not know how the injury happened and is unsure of when he will return. ... Brooklyn G Allen Crabbe (left knee soreness) was available after being listed on the team's injury report as questionable. ... Asked in his pregame press conference about stopping New York F Kristaps Porzingis, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson quipped: "If you've got any suggestions, I'd love to hear them." ... Newly acquired F Jahlil Okafor and G Nik Stauskas had their second practice with the Nets Wednesday but did not play.