Steve Nash Says Nets' 28-Point Comeback vs. Knicks 'A Test of Our Character'

The Brooklyn Nets were 1-11 in their previous 12 games and shorthanded after a roster shakeup coming into Wednesday's contest against the New York Knicks. It would have been easy to put things on cruise control when they fell behind by 28 points.

Instead, they came storming all the way back in what head coach Steve Nash believes is a testament to the team's character.

"We had to be more physical offensively, we had to be more physical defensively," Nash told reporters. "It's a test of our character."

The game was in New York, so Kyrie Irving was unavailable because he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19. Kevin Durant is also sidelined with an injury, and Ben Simmons, who was acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, has not yet taken the court this season.

Even without all those pieces, the Nets outscored the Knicks 67-41 in the second half on the way to a 111-106 victory.

Cam Thomas provided a spark off the bench with 21 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge notched a double-double of 18 points and 10 boards as part of the secondary unit as well.

Seth Curry (20 points and six assists) and Andre Drummond (11 points and 19 rebounds), who were both a part of the Harden-Simmons trade, were also instrumental in the comeback.

A double-double of 31 points and 10 boards from Julius Randle wasn't enough for the Knicks, who are now an ugly 3-13 in their last 16 games.

The ugly stretch has left New York 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament as a season of disappointment continues for a squad that was in the playoffs in 2020-21.

As for the Nets, there is no question what this team's ceiling is when Durant, Irving, Simmons, Curry and more are all on the court together. Still, the recent stretch of poor play has left them in position for the play-in tournament.

Avoiding that fate could be key if they want to win a championship. It would be a clearer path out of what promises to be a daunting Eastern Conference playoffs, so stacking together wins like Wednesday's before Durant returns could prove critical.

Nash appreciated the toughness required to do just that against the Knicks.