Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were a misfiring mess all night.
But apparently it’s never too late to get off the struggle bus against the pathetic Nets.
An inexcusable defeat Friday night was only averted because Brooklyn’s couldn’t generate a potential game-winner at the buzzer — instead heaving an airball Hail Mary from rookie Ben Saraf off an inbounds play — allowing the Knicks to leave Barclays Center with a 93-92 win that was more shameful than respectable.
Brunson, who missed the previous game with a neck strain, scored just 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting overall, including 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.
But he finally awoke in crunch time, dropping two of the night’s biggest buckets — a go-ahead layup with 2:20 remaining and a pull-up jumper less than a minute later.
But Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (26 points, 15 rebounds) also missed critical free throws in the final 10 seconds, providing the Nets with enough leeway to blow it multiple times.
The tanking Nets couldn’t score — they shot under 40 percent and committed 15 turnovers.
So the Knicks (45-25) left with their winning streaks intact — five straight overall, and 14 consecutive against the Nets.
But it was ugly.
For the Knicks, who’ve had problems starting games, it was another discouraging first quarter.
They managed a pitiful 14 points in that opening period and trailed by eight, saved only by Brooklyn’s ineptitude.
On Sunday night, Knicks coach Mike Brown ranted about his team’s lack of focus and energy immediately after tipoff.
He was so upset after that nail-biting win over the short-handed Warriors that he stopped the tradition of awarding a defensive player of the game.
But the message didn’t sink in for Friday night.
New York’s start was about as bad as ever.
A big issue was Brunson, who was out of rhythm.
It got feisty in the second quarter, when Mitchell Robinson, clearly upset with a previous possession, stepped over Brooklyn’s Nolan Traore under the basket.
Robinson stood over Traore — a universal basketball sign of disrespect — and Brooklyn’s Danny Wolf stepped in before all parties were separated.
Robinson was given a tech.
So was Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams.
Then in the third quarter, OG Anunoby and Nic Claxton were whistled for techs after a shoving exchange.
The Nets are operating with a talent deficit and under a front office prioritizing ping-pong balls over victories.
Still the Nets showed fight Friday.
There was clearly pride on the line for this matchup.
Not only are the Knicks the crosstown rivals who entered with a lengthy winning streak in head-to-head matchups, they punked the Nets in a 54-point victory at the Garden in January.
“The last one when we played at the Garden, it was embarrassing,” Wolf said. “So, it’s just a little bit of added extra motivation. And obviously I would like to say this isn’t how we wanted the season to go in terms of wins and losses, but each game we’ve got to prepare the same way. But obviously tonight there’s definitely some extra motivation to try to get this one.”
Still, a tanking roster with tanking strategy can only hold off its destiny for so long.
The Knicks were lucky they didn’t stop Brooklyn’s pursuit of better lottery odds.
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