NBA scores: J.R. Smith saves Knicks' week, Nets falling fast

The New York Knicks bounced back from a disappointing Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with a thrilling win over the Phoenix Suns, while the Brooklyn Nets sunk further into the mire with a pair of hideous losses.

The Knicks had high hopes for their game against Los Angeles after dropping 41 on the Lakers in the first quarter alone a few weeks back, but Kobe Bryant hit shot after shot and the defense collapsed after Tyson Chandler fouled out. Bryant had an almost identical line to Carmelo Anthony, as both finished with 34 points, but Mike D'Antoni and the Lakers won their fifth straight. Raymond Felton broke his pinkie in the game and finished with an ugly 10 points on 19 shots.

Felton and Anthony both sat out Wednesday night in Phoenix, and the Knicks blew a double-digit lead as Phoenix pulled in front late. But J.R. Smith was there to drill a contested 18-footer with 10 seconds left to tie the game, then hit an improbable game-winning buzzer-beater -- his second in under a month -- fading away over intense defense by P.J. Tucker to stick a baseline shot.

As for Brooklyn, they're 3-10 on the month, and its getting worse. The offense looked out of sync in back-to-back games, with the team committing 20 turnovers on Christmas against Boston and then shooting just 38.6 percent from the field -- 19 percent on threes -- in a loss to Milwaukee. The Nets only cleared 20 points in a quarter once against Boston, and were outscored 33-18 in the second against Milwaukee.

Here's a look at the week's games for both teams:

New York Knicks

Tuesday, Dec. 25

Los Angeles Lakers, 100, New York Knicks, 94

Wednesday, Dec. 26

New York Knicks, 97, Phoenix Suns, 97

Brooklyn Nets

Tuesday, Dec. 25

Boston Celtics, 93, Brooklyn Nets, 76

Wednesday, Dec. 26

Milwaukee Bucks, 108, Brooklyn Nets, 93