NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns made a strong return from a brief absence, contributing 26 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists to help the New York Knicks secure a 114-104 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night, completing a weekend doubleheader sweep.

OG Anunoby also shined for the Knicks, scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Towns sat out the previous game due to a bruised left knee, which did not hinder the Knicks, as they managed a close 124-122 victory over the Nets on Friday, courtesy of a last-second three-pointer by Jalen Brunson.

For the Knicks, Mikal Bridges added 21 points, while Josh Hart delivered an impressive performance with 20 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Despite having a challenging night with only 12 points on 3 of 14 shooting, Brunson played a crucial role, dishing out 10 assists. Meanwhile, Cam Johnson led the Nets with 22 points as they suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Injury challenges forced the Nets to utilize 6-foot-7 Dorian Finney-Smith as their starting center, severely limiting their ability to defend against the likes of Towns, who stands at 7 feet, and the 6-foot-7 Anunoby, who combined for 49 points across both matchups.

A noteworthy moment came from Brunson, who didn’t score his first basket until hitting a jumper with 9:11 left in the third quarter. His contributions began turning the tide, featuring in a 12-4 run that ballooned the Knicks’ lead from a narrow two-point deficit to a more comfortable 76-66 advantage, which they maintained throughout the game.

Defensively, the Knicks managed to limit Cam Thomas to just 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting, a stark contrast to his season-high 43 points scored on Friday, marking his second consecutive game with over 40 points at Madison Square Garden.

Looking ahead, the Knicks will face the Washington Wizards on Monday, while the Nets are set to host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Both teams will then take to the road for games before the Thanksgiving holiday.