It was a tough ending for Brooklyn, but there were positives from the loss.The Nets were down by as many as 21 points late in the third quarter before igniting a fourth-quarter comeback. They nearly had the game when Dennis Schroder hit a go-ahead three-pointer,

Friday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden marked the first time the Nets have faced their former star forward, Mikal Bridges, since last summer’s blockbuster deal.

New York got balanced scoring from their other wing stars minus Towns to start Friday's contest. They jumped out to a 37-32 lead at the end of the first quarter behind 10 points from OG Anunoby, and seven points each from Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges in the first frame.