The Knicks took advantage of an awful shooting night by the Nets, topping Brooklyn 94-82 at Barclays Center. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Thursday's game

1) Neither team shot the ball particularly well on Thursday night. In the first half, the Nets shot just 26.7 percent from the floor, and while the Knicks were only slightly better at 34 percent, New York was able to take advantage of a red-hot half from Julius Randle to jump out to a 46-41 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, the Knicks began to pull away. Randle stayed hot, while Elfrid Payton and Marcus Morris also had some key plays, and the Knicks jumped out to an 18-point lead after three, outscoring the Nets 33-20 in the third quarter. In the fourth, the Nets' shooting woes continued, and the Knicks were able to maintain a double-digit lead, hanging on for the win.

2) Randle got things started for the Knicks on Thursday at Barclays Center. The power forward scored 10 points in the first five minutes of the game, while the rest of the Knicks scored just two points during that span. Randle also made two three-pointers in the opening quarter, helping the Knicks to a 24-15 lead after one. Late in the second quarter, Randle stepped into his third and fourth threes of the first half, as he finished the first two quarters with 20 points. Randle finished the night with 33 points to go along with eight rebounds and two assists.

3) Spencer Dinwiddie's night didn't get off to a strong start from the floor, but he made up for it by getting to the free-throw line in the first half. The Nets' starting point guard shot just 3-of-9 from the field in the first half, but six made free throws brought him up to 14 points at the break. He finished with 25 points on the night, but he and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (10 points) were the only Nets to score in double figures.

4) In the battle between New York's young bigs, Mitchell Robinson got the best of Jarrett Allen. In the first half alone, Robinson had five points (including a monster alley-oop slam), four rebounds and one block in 13 minutes. Meanwhile, Allen went scoreless with one rebound and one block in 12 first-half minutes. Robinson finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, while Allen had just four points, six rebounds, and two blocks.

5) Thursday's 82 points marked the Nets' lowest single-game scoring output of the season. The previous low came against the Pacers on November 18 when they scored 86 points in a loss. The Nets shot just 26.9 percent from the floor overall. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Nets' eight made two-pointers on Thursday were the fewest by a team since 1950, when the Lakers and Pistons each made just four shots, four years before the 24-second shot clock was implemented.

Highlights

Mitchell Robinson. Vicious. 🚫

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/8mYphLRz0A
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 27, 2019

MITCHELL ROBINSON, UP HIGH AND DOWN HARD 😱

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/0ON4GTP4Gi
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 27, 2019

2⃣5⃣ for Julius Randle 🔥

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/ZcASIh4gZV
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 27, 2019

What's next

The Knicks are off on Friday, but they'll be back in action on Saturday for an 8:00pm tip against the Wizards in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the Nets will also be on the road on Saturday, as they face off against the Houston Rockets at 8:00pm.

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