Knicks guard Ronnie Brewer recently has been troubled by his surgically repaired left knee, but last night it was his left hand that became the issue.
Brewer left the Knicks’ 96-89 overtime loss to the Nets with 24 seconds left in regulation after dislocating the ring finger on his left hand slapping at the ball as Brook Lopez drove for a layup, drawing a foul. Brewer left the game, went to the locker room for X-rays and was not available for overtime.
X-rays were negative, and Brewer wore tape over his finger afterward. Coach Mike Woodson said the fear was Brewer had broken his finger.
The status of Brewer and Jason Kidd — who missed the game due to back spasms — is unknown for tomorrow’s game in Milwaukee.
* Marcus Camby played just 5:20 in the first half as Woodson rode Rasheed Wallace for another 22:40. Wallace had a tough shooting night, going 2-of-11 as the Knicks finished shooting 38.8 percent.
The Knicks are now 4-4 on the road and lost their first game this season to a Eastern Conference foe.
* Woodson played for the Knicks as a rookie in 1980-81 and played seven games for the Nets when they played in East Rutherford the next season. But he never visited Brooklyn before yesterday, when the team bus traversed across the Manhattan Bridge for last night’s historic encounter.
“My first trip to Brooklyn,’’ Woodson said. “I know there’s enough fans to support both teams. We got a lot of New York Knicks fans and hopefully they’ll buy up all the tickets.’’
Afterward, Woodson called the atmosphere “fantastic.’’
* Knicks owner James Dolan shouldn’t fear the new Brooklyn Nets but embrace them, according to NYU sports management professor Dave Hollander, who sees both squads gaining immensely from the move.
“I see it as a positive thing for both the Knicks and Nets,’’ Hollander told The Post. “It forces fans to choose and identify their fan affinity with more intensity and prove it. They prove it by commercial activity, watching games, buying apparel, buying tickets.
“You want to let the other side to know where you stand. It’s not unlike Yankees and Mets fans.’’
According to Hollander, commissioner David Stern knew what he was doing.
“David Stern didn’t decide to move the franchise to Brooklyn to devalue their second-most valued franchise,’’ Hollander said. “They are not there for the Nets to hurt the Knicks.’’
Hollander had a Modell’s marketing executive speak to his students earlier this month. The Modell’s outlet by Barclays Center is the second-best revenue store for their chain in New York, after the location in Times Square. Nets apparel is the No. 2 selling team apparel at Modell’s chain of sporting good stores, ahead of the Knicks.
“Brooklyn is its own brand, which is why it is on their home and away jersey,’’ Hollander said. “It’s only going to get better. Brooklyn is now the cultural, intellectual and artistic center of New York. There is a romantic effect.’’