The Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks 96-89 in overtime in a game which saw 14 lead changes and 13 ties at the new Barclays Center before a boisterous crowd, in the first game between the crosstown rivals.
The win took the Nets (9-4) into a tie with the Knicks (9-4) for first place in the Atlantic Division.
"It's great to feel that we have a home-court advantage finally," the Associated Press quoted Deron Williams as saying. "This is what they talked about.
"I think this is what they visualized, was games like this. This was a playoff-type atmosphere. You could definitely feel it on the court and it was a great game to be a part of."
Both the teams were getting huge support from the crowd. But the Nets had an edge as they improved their winning record in their new home court.
"Every time some sort of Knicks contingency started to cheer, our fans got louder," Nets coach Avery Johnson said.
For the Nets, Brook Lopez scored 22 points and chipped in with 11 rebounds, whereas Deron Williams added 16 points and 14 assists with Jerry Stackhouse scoring 14 points. Gerald Wallace contributed with 16 points and five rebounds.
New York's top scorer Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Tyson Chandler added a career-high 28 points and 10 boards.
"They're across the bridge. They're here in Brooklyn. We're in the city. They're in the same division, the same sports town. I guess you can say this started something," Anthony said.
Knicks guard Raymond Felton had a bad night from the field, converting only three from 19 attempts.
"I'm upset at myself. I had a bad shooting night," Felton said. "I'm probably just as mad as any fan, any player, anybody you could think about."
Both the teams played the first matchup of Brooklyn and New York with tremendous energy and thought. It was a special game for both teams.
The Knicks scored eight straight points to take an 84-81 lead with 1:40 left. But the Nets did not allow them to score another point in the fourth quarter. Lopez shot a free throw to tie the score with 24 seconds remaining. At the end of the fourth quarter both the team were tied 84-84.
In overtime, the Nets completely outclassed the Knicks. They added eight straight points and after that Stackhouse shot a 3-pointer to take the lead to 89-86 with 3:31 remaining, before seeing the game out at the stretch.
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