Julius Randle of the Knicks puts up a shot during the fourth quarter against Joe Harris of the Nets at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
On the somber day when former Lakers star and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash near their Los Angeles-area home, NBA business continued with a game between the Knicks and Nets that felt more like a memorial than a bitter local rivalry Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Nets struggled to generate much offense without Kyrie Irving, who missed the game for personal reasons to grieve the death of his friend and mentor Bryant.