Kathy Willens/AP
Joe Johnson (l.) scores the go-ahead jumper for the Nets with 22 seconds left.
For now, the two belongs to both teams.
The Brooklyn Nets, behind Joe Johnson's 25 points rallied for an 88-85 win over the Knicks on Monday to even the season series at two wins apiece. The win also improved Brooklyn's record to 25-16 and they are now one game behind the first place Knicks (25-14).
Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 29 points but he took 29 shots and fired up an air ball in the final 12 seconds with the Knicks trailing by one. Deron Williams added 14 points and 12 assists for the Nets and made three of four free throws in the last 10 seconds.
Brook Lopez finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Kris Humphries added 11 points and 13 rebounds as the Nets held a 52-37 edge on the glass. Amar'e Stoudemire scored 15 for the Knicks and Jason Kidd added 11 but missed a crucial free throw in the closing seconds.
J.R. Smith, who made 7 of 19 shots, missed a potential game-tying three 3-pointer as time expired. The Knicks don't play again until Thursday against the Celtics in Boston.
Anthony has scored at least 20 points in 25 straight games, the longest such streak of his career. With the Knicks trailing 60-53 early in the third quarter, Anthony scored five points and assisted on a pair of Stoudemire baskets as the Knicks closed out the period on a 15-5 run.
The Nets scored just 18 third quarter points but they found an offensive rhythm early in the fourth quarter. It started with a transition dunk from Kris Humphries and on the ensuing possession, Keith Bogans' corner three gave the Nets a 70-68 lead.
With the scored tied at 75, Johnson scored Brooklyn's next eight points and the Nets extended their lead to 83-77. But on Brooklyn's next seven possessions they missed six shots and committed two turnovers as the Knicks scored seven straight points. Stoudemire could have tied it with 2:15 to play but he missed the second of two free throws. Anthony then had a chance to give the Knicks the lead but his driving lay-up was blocked by Lopez.
The Knicks regained possession with 59 seconds left after Bogans, who had missed a lay-up on the previous possession, had his open 3-pointer rattled out. Anthony posted Johnson and drew a foul as he spun to the hoop with 40.9 seconds to play.
Brooklyn called time out and ended up getting Johnson isolated on J.R. Smith 35 feet from the basket. Johnson drove to his right and from 18 feet out hit a pull-up jumper with 22.3 seconds left. It was Brooklyn's five points in 5 minutes and 14 seconds
Mike Woodson used a time out to run a play for Anthony, who failed to hit iron on a pull-up from 10 feet out with Gerald Wallace with 12.5 seconds to play. Lopez tapped the rebound to Bogans, who was fouled. But the Knicks still had another foul to give and they used it on Williams, who two free throws with 8.3 seconds to play made it 87-84.
Woodson used final time out and with the Knicks needing a three, P.J. Carlesimo instructed his team to immediately foul. Jason Kidd went to the line with 7.5 seconds left and he missed the first of two. Williams, who had made 52 straight free throws, promptly missed the first of two with 5.7 seconds left to give the Knicks a chance.
After Williams sank the second, the Knicks immediately inbounded to Smith, who dribbled up court and seemed to be anticipating a foul. Instead, Williams backed off and forced Smith to try a long three from the wing that hit the backboard and front iron and fell out
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