Shorthanded Knicks Hand Nets Season Finale Loss Behind Shamet’s 29

Brooklyn couldn't close out the 2024-25 campaign with a win.

Apr 13, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Trendon Watford (9) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In the closing act of the inaugural rebuilding season in Brooklyn, the Nets took on their cross-town rival, the New York Knicks, for the fourth time this year. Having been unsuccessful in stealing a win from former teammate Mikal Bridges and New York—dating as far back as two seasons ago—the losing streak continued on Sunday afternoon with a 113-105 loss.

Trendon Watford led the Nets with 20 points and seven rebounds in the season finale.

In a high-scoring first quarter of action, Tyrese Martin—who had seen his role diminish slightly over the final stretch of his first season with Brooklyn—led the young offensive attack, adding nine points in an attempt to keep up with Knicks' backup big Precious Achiuwa.

Achiuwa, sans Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, took full advantage of the opportunity presented to him, emerging as the latest big man to torch the Nets' interior. His dominance inside, compounded by the lethal deep-range shooting from Landry Shamet produced a slim one-point lead for the visitors through one.

Capitalizing on a scoreless second quarter from Achiuwa, Martin and Trendon Watford's guidance resulted in a 13-2 Brooklyn run, capturing a temporary 10-point advantage midway through the frame. Responding almost instantly, Miles McBride and Cam Payne combined for an unanswered seven-point scoring stretch, outscoring the Nets 17-11 to close out the first half while trimming their deficit to just four.

Down two late in the third quarter, Payne, Shamet and Achiuwa began proving why they deserve minutes when the Knicks take on the Pistons in round one of the NBA playoffs. Relentless from beyond the arc, Shamet and Payne took turns burying three-pointers—orchestrating another game-changing 12-2 run amid a stretch where Brooklyn's lone points came courtesy of two Tyson Etienne free throws. The sudden lack of scoring ability gravely hurt the Nets, erasing all the work they did in the second quarter while spotting New York a six-point lead heading into the final fourth quarter of the season.

Trailing by four with just over a minute remaining in regulation, Brooklyn's youngsters had the opportunity to do what the Nets had struggled to do all season long: finish. The prospect of overcoming huge performances from Shamet, Payne and Achiuwa while knocking off perhaps their biggest rival was pivotal but ultimately unsuccessful.

Beginning a string of miscues, Keon Johnson was called for a charge, taking away a possession from the hosts in need of a bucket. On the other end, Delon Wright cleaned up a Kevin McCullar Jr. three-point attempt, tipping the ball back in to extend the Knicks' lead to six. From that point, Brooklyn proved unable to score for the remainder of the contest, squandering their last opportunity to end New York's now-seven-game winning streak head-to-head.

With year one of the complete overhaul now in the rearview, the Nets shift their focus to two major aspects of the offseason: May's draft lottery and July's free agency. Equipped with a top selection in this summer's draft, as well as likely the most cap space leaguewide, head coach Jordi Fernandez and general manager Sean Marks have plenty of tools at their disposal in hopes of not only toppling the Knicks next season—but building an squad set up for sustained success in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

To access the final box score from the Nets' loss to the Knicks, click here.

---

feed