December 19, 2012, Madison Square Garden:
Knicks 100, Nets 86
The rivalry moved to Manhattan just eight days later, but the two teams and Madison Square Garden crowd could not match the intensity of the first two installments of Borough Ball. The Nets held a 67-51 lead halfway through the third, but the Knicks would dominate down the stretch and win a yawner. Carmelo Anthony again led the game in scoring with 31 points, while Brook Lopez had 16 points and 10 boards after missing the second game in Brooklyn.
Most notably, it was the last East River rivalry game for Nets coach Avery Johnson. The loss to the Knicks dropped the Nets record to 2-8 in December, and rumors circulated that the Little General had lost the locker room. Johnson would survive just three more games and was fired after a 14-14 start.
Of note, the Nets would have to go 9-1 in the next ten games (including Thursday night against the Knicks) in order to match the mark that got Johnson fired.
