Nets beat Knicks to end home losing streak
NEW YORK -- Brook Lopez hit his first six 3-point shots and scored 25 points as the Brooklyn Nets stopped a franchise-record 16-game home losing streak with a 120-112 victory over the New York Knicks Sunday night.
The Nets returned home from a 2-6 trip and picked up their first home win since Randy Foye's buzzer-beater against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 26.
Brooklyn led for the final 44:41, survived a lull in the third quarter and made enough plays in the fourth to end the third-longest skid in league history.
Lopez, who missed his first game of the season due to injury Friday, returned from a sprained right ankle. He was listed as probable but made at least six 3-pointers for the second straight home game. He made 6 of 9 3-point attempts as Brooklyn made a season-high 19 3-pointers, coming within two of the franchise record.
Lopez also became the 12th player in NBA history to hit at least 100 3-pointers and block 100 shots.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Trevor Booker added 14 points apiece while Jeremy Lin and rookie Caris LeVert contributed 13 each.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 27 points and became the seventh player in team history to get at least 10,000 points. Kristaps Porzingis added 19 before fouling out as New York lost for the sixth time in its last nine games.
Brooklyn held a 102-95 lead after Anthony hit a turnaround jumper over Hollis-Jefferson with 6:43 remaining. After Lopez missed a 3-pointer, Lin and LeVert forced Anthony into a turnover and Hollis-Jefferson converted a transition dunk.
A few minutes later, consecutive hoops by Anthony cut the deficit to 109-103 with 4:37 remaining. After Anthony's second jumper, LeVert hit a 3-pointer and Lin scored the next five points, pushing the Nets' lead to double digits again.
Lin then finished it off with a short jumper through the lane over Courtney Lee with 28 seconds left.
NOTES: After Saturday's loss in Detroit, F Kristaps Porzingis told reporters he thought the Knicks were running the triangle offense about 90 percent of the time. Asked to follow up Porzingis' assessment with a percentage, coach Jeff Hornacek said while drawing a few laughs: "I don't know. I think 61 and three quarters." ... Brooklyn G Joe Harris (concussion/sprained left shoulder) missed his fifth straight game, though coach Kenny Atkinson said Harris is improving. ... Hornacek said he did not feel a need to talk to F Carmelo Anthony after he took a season-low nine shots for the third time this season Saturday. ... Former Knicks F Charles Oakley attended the game as a guest of Ice Cube's Big3 League. Oakley is playing in the league, which starts this summer.