In the first meeting between the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets this season it looked like we might get a game worthy of all the bickering back and forth between the two teams.
Then Devin Harris went down with a knee injury with 6:20 left in the third quarter and everything changed. A two-point Knicks lead grew to 15 by the end of the quarter. In that deciding quarter, New York got 12 points from Amar'e Stoudemire along with 9 points and 5 rebounds from Wilson Chandler.
For the game, Stoudemire finished with 35, the most points any player has scored against the Nets all season. Chandler added 27 and Raymond Felton had 21 points to go along with a game-high 10 assists.
New Jersey was paced by Brook Lopez who put up 36 points, one shy of his career high but it wasn't enough with the Nets only other reliable offensive weapon in the training room. Despite having his way on offense, Lopez continues to struggle on the glass, grabbing just five rebounds. Jordan Farmar chipped in 17 points while playing extended minutes in place of Harris.
Avery Johnson said that Harris would get an MRI tomorrow but that the team is very concerned.
"We are hoping, praying for some good news," Johnson said shortly after the game.
In the locker room, Harris said his knee "kinda just buckled a little bit" but that he wasn't too worried after initially fearing the worst.
If his injury isn't too serious, Harris will likely be around for a re-match since these two teams don't play again until the Knicks travel to Newark on February 12th.
The Nets have now lost six straight road games and won't get much time to feel sorry for themselves with Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma Thunder waiting for them Wednesday night at the Prudential Center.
The Knicks improved their home record to 3-5 and will get a few days off before heading down to New Orleans to take on the Hornets on Friday night.