Josh Minott's Big Night a Takeaway As The Nets Drop a Tight Game To The Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets (17-53) took the court on Friday night for an intercity rivalry game against the New York Knicks (46-25).

The Nets had lost the first three meetings between these two teams this season, all by fairly convincing margins. Even without plenty of key players, Brooklyn was hoping to give the Knicks a better game on Friday. They gave the Knicks everything they could handle and came up just short, dropping the game 93-92.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets tight loss to the Knicks.

1. A Fantastic Start

In a season full of slow starts and terrible first halves, Friday night was a breath of fresh air for the Nets. They took it to the Knicks in the opening 24 minutes, being the more physical team and taking a six-point lead into the half. The Knicks had given Brooklyn problems all season, but the Nets were more than up to the task in this one.

Led by Josh Minott and Ziaire Williams, Brooklyn maintained the pace of play in the first half, played great defense, and distributed the ball well. This was an extremely impressive start for Jordi Fernandez's squad, and one they can build off of going forward. While this is a lost season in the standings, playing well in these final games still matters for the future.

2. Josh Minott Was Excellent

Josh Minott has been an incredible find so far from Sean Marks and the Nets front office. The former Boston Celtic is finding a role off the Brooklyn bench recently, and turned in one of the best performances of his young career on Friday. Minott finished the night with 22 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Minott's always been an intriguing prospect, with his defensive length and versatility paired with a high-upside offensive skill set. He was unable to earn minutes in Minnesota and Boston, two teams looking to compete right now. But with a team that has an eye on the future, he's been able to shine. He's looking like a great piece for the rebuild.

3. The Nets Played Their Hearts Out

Despite coming up short, there's a legit argument to make that this was the best performance of the entire season for the Nets. They were extremely shorthanded, playing without numerous starters and key contributors. The Knicks were basically fully healthy and are supposed to be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. And somehow, Brooklyn almost won this game.

With a hodgepodge lineup of rookies, guys on ten-day contracts, and players who weren't even here a month ago, the Nets almost pulled off the stunner. They played great defense, put a ton of pressure on New York, and played with so much intensity. This is the kind of effort that Fernandez is looking for from his young team as this season winds down.