You can say this much for the 4-13 Knicks: At least they aren't the worst team in New York.
The Knicks crushed the Brooklyn Nets 113-83 in a nationally televised game on Thursday night to snap a nine-game losing streak.
In doing so, they gave embattled coach Mike Woodson some room to breathe for a night.
New York built a 15-point first-quarter lead, let the Nets (5-14) bounce back in the second quarter, but blew things open in the second half. The Knicks led by as many as 34.
As badly as the Knicks needed this win, it's worth noting that it came against a team with, statistically, the worst defense in the NBA.
Things get physical: Playing the Nets seemed to light a bit of a fire under the Knicks.
In the second half, Andrea Bargnani got tangled up with Kevin Garnett. Bargnani appeared to be the aggressor, grabbing at Garnett's jersey. Bargnani was whistled for a loose-ball foul, and both players received technicals.
Minutes later, Bargnani received another technical foul for taunting Garnett following a made 3-pointer. He was seen talking to Garnett as both players ran down the floor.
Bargnani was tossed from the game after the second tech.
The Knicks' bench appreciated his efforts, giving him a standing ovation as he walked off the court.
Bargnani finished with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting. He also had three blocks.
Strong night for Shump: Bargnani wasn't the only Knick to mix it up with a Net. Iman Shumpert also got into a brief stare-down with Andray Blatche in the first half. Both players received technicals.
Shumpert caught fire in the third quarter, hitting three of his four 3-point attempts and pouring in 11 points as the Knicks outscored the Nets by 18.
Shumpert, whose name has been mentioned in potential trade rumors, finished with a season-high 17 points. He hit five of his seven 3-point attempts.
Melo fellow: The Knicks didn't need much from Carmelo Anthony on Thursday. Anthony had a team-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting against the Nets. But New York had six Knicks in double figures. Amar'e Stoudemire had 11 points. The Knicks outscored the Nets by 12 in his 19 minutes.
Bored on boards: One of the few negatives on the night for New York was its play on the glass. The Knicks were outrebounded by the Nets 35-30, but the margin was larger than that for much of the game.
Brooklyn had 15 offensive rebounds, and the Knicks finished with just seven.
Also, center Brook Lopez had 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
What's next: The Knicks will play the second game of a back-to-back against the Magic at the Garden on Friday.
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