NBA: Knicks sweep Nets with biggest win ever, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines for Thunder

A historic beatdown at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks broke their own record by reaching their biggest margin of victory against the Brooklyn Nets: 120-66, a 54-point spread. They thus returned to victory after a string of disappointments, while their New York neighbors deepened the crisis.

Another major player of the day NBA was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 40 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Here are the standout moments from a seven-game date that also featured a win for the Detroit Pistons:

Knicks, win and record

After a dire start to the year, the Knicks made it up to their fans with a mammoth 54-point victory, leaving behind their previous highest mark of 48 points, achieved on three occasions (1968, 1972 and 1994), according to AFP.

The New Yorkers brought out their pride at Madison Square Garden after four consecutive losses that dropped them to third place in the Eastern Conference.

The streak heightened doubts surrounding their new coach, Mike Brown, and a squad that started the season as a favorite to dominate the East.

"We just had to refocus and get back to who we are," said point guard Jalen Brunson. "This is a good step for us, but we've got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day."

The Knicks captain, chosen this week as a starter for the All-Star Game, was his team's leading scorer with 20 points.

The Knicks dominated the game from start to finish, starting with a 38-20 first-quarter run, and built a 59-point lead against the neighboring team.

According to ESPN, Brunson himself called a players-only meeting Monday to address the team's decline, which had a 2-8 record in the previous 10 games.

The Nets, with Michael Porter Jr. leading scorer with just 12 points, sank further into their current slump, with 10 losses in the last 12 games.

"Tonight was even worse and I’m the one responsible for it," Jordi Fernandez said as he took responsibility for the beating he took.

A dazzling SGA chases Chamberlain's record

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder also showed no mercy to the Milwaukee Bucks in a comfortable 122-102 win.

Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) scored 40 points on an astounding 16-19 shooting from the field and dished out 11 assists. The reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) is speeding toward a long-lived milestone in the competition.

The Thunder leader has 115 consecutive games with at least 20 points scored, second only to the 126 games accumulated by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain between 1961 and 1963.

The defense of the reigning champions held Giannis Antetokounmpo to just 19 points for the depressed Bucks, who remain in eleventh place in the East out of playoff contention.

Pistons don't stop engines

The East leaders, the Detroit Pistons (32-10), gave no respite in a 112-104 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans without their leader, Cade Cunningham.

The point guard, who is suffering from a hip contusion, lent Detroit's helm to Daniss Jenkins, who finished with 17 points and 4 assists.

The Pistons have a comfortable 5.5-win lead over their main pursuers, the Boston Celtics, who beat the Indiana Pacers 119-104 with 30 points and 10 rebounds from Jaylen Brown.