Most would say that Kyrie Irving was the difference in the New York Knicks’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday evening, and they would be right. Irving posted 40 points, shooting 15-of-28 from the field and 5-of-12 from downtown, but his biggest moment came in the final seconds of the fourth quarter when he executed a perfect step-back three-pointer, breaking Julius Randle’s ankles in the process.
The Knicks’ defense held Brooklyn below their average per game but still fell by two points, with Randle missing the final shot to tie the game. New York continues to force-feed Randle in the final moments, and there has been only a handful of times where he’s connected on the shot, sending the team to overtime just to lose it in the end.