Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks get drama-free win over Nets

The Knicks had an easier time beating the Nets in the rematch.

After overcoming an off shooting night from Jalen Brunson, the home team was boosted by the return of Karl-Anthony Towns and rode another strong performance by OG Anunoby to a 114-104 victory Sunday over the Nets.

The Knicks (7-6) led in the final three quarters to knock off the Nets (5-9) twice in three days, though bragging rights in this inter-borough matchup have not mattered much since Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant departed.

The energy in the Garden on Sunday – or lack thereof – was indicative of a rivalry that carries the juice of a steam-rolled grape.

The Knicks are now clearly the better team in NYC and showed it with more authority than Friday when they required a game-winning trey from Brunson in the final seconds.

Sunday was devoid of drama despite Brunson shooting 3 of 14.

“One time in the fourth quarter I looked up and (Brunson) only had eight points. And we won by eight or whatever it was,” Josh Hart said. “I thought, ‘It’s nice to have a good, talented team where we’re not so dependent on JB scoring and creating and doing all those things.’

“There is not so much pressure on him to knock down shots. Sometimes he can take a few breaths, a few possessions. And we can still jump.”

Hart, who again filled the box with 20 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, is the symbol of the recent dominance over the Nets.

He hasn’t lost to Brooklyn since joining the Knicks two seasons ago with an 8-0 record.

He’s also credited — or blamed — for brokering the trade for Mikal Bridges, who was traded from Brooklyn before this season and dropped 21 points on his former team Sunday.

The Knicks, who had struggled in fourth quarters all season, led by double digits in the final five minutes. Their defense buckled when it mattered most, holding Brooklyn to 17 points in the final 10 minutes.

“Playing the same team twice, that’s not easy to do,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Come out, played hard on both sides of the ball. But our rebound was good. Defense well. So just keep building, keep getting better.”

Brunson couldn’t buy a bucket, but dished out 10 assists. Anunoby added 24 points while holding Nets spark plug Cam Thomas to just 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting.

Towns, who missed the previous game with a messed-up knee, finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but may have hurt his back on a tough spill in the third quarter.

“It’s all good, it’s all good,” Towns reassured.

The Knicks were without Miles McBride for the second straight game. He has been dealing with inflammation related to a hyperextended knee that occurred early in the season.

McBride was also ill last week.

Without their regular sixth man, the Knicks rotation included a heavy dose of Cam Payne (nine points, 17 minutes) and a performance from rookie Pacome Dadiet (0 points in 10 minutes).

Jericho Sims remained the backup center over Ariel Hukporti and played arguably his best game with solid defense in his 18 minutes, including during crunch time with Towns on the bench.