What to Watch for in Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets have looked much-improved in their last few games, grabbing two wins out of the last four, as well as keeping things close in the losses.

Sunday evening, the Nets played a valiant contest against the Raptors — who have now won seven-straight — ultimately falling late due to the two-way play from Toronto's stellar forwards.

On Monday night, the Nets will take on the New York Knicks, hoping to rebound from it's 10-point defeat. They still stand at 3-14, and are likely vying for top picks at the 2026 NBA Draft, but could still use early-season wins.

Here are three things to watch for in tonight’s game:

Both Teams are Looking to Bounce-Back

Both the Nets and Knicks have suffered recent losses, with New York dropping a Saturday bout to the Magic, and the Nets losing on the front end of a back-to-back versus the white-hot Raptors.

Both teams will be looking to get back in the win column against one another, meaning there could be a little extra fuel added to the inter-state fire.

The Nets have played better of late, riding a two-way product that's finally looking like Jordi Fernandez has intended. That means Monday’s game could be more competitive than early-November’s 134-98 beatdown.

Can Nets Capitalize on Knicks’ Lows

It’s no secret the Knicks have underperformed to start the year. They were listed as the top team in the East for many in preseason, but have started just 9-6 on the year, good for the No. 6 seed presently.

They’re a tough team to face, with a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons. Still, they’re prone to their fair share of lapses on either end, and Brooklyn will need to take advantage to steal a win.

New York has lost to Orlando twice and Miami once in recent days, giving up plenty of points in the process. A sharp game from the Nets’ offense could secure the team’s fourth win of the season.

Tyrese Martin’s Hot-Streak

Martin heads into Monday’s game having averaged 16.0 points per game across his last four contests.

The third-year guard seen two 20-plus-point outings in that stretch, most recently going for 26 points on 50% shooting against Toronto.

His 3-point percentage is slowly coming back around after a slow start, boosted largely by five last night, and Brooklyn will need him to continue his hot-streak with Cam Thomas still sidelined.

New York has solid defensive weapons on the perimeter, making it a potentially tough matchup for Martin.