In some ways, it by no means has gotten any higher than it was on the night of Oct. 2, 1973. There have been 17,226 individuals inside Madison Sq. Backyard to observe a recreation that mattered to no one, besides it appeared to matter to each one of many 17,226 who’d purchased tickets.
The Knicks have been defending NBA champions. The Nets have been about to start a season that resulted of their first ABA title. Julius Erving had simply been acquired by the Nets, and this was an opportunity to make an announcement. Even when it was simply an exhibition recreation.
“It actually doesn’t matter to us,” Knicks ahead Dave DeBusschere — who’d already been employed to turn into the Nets’ normal supervisor at season’s finish — mentioned a number of days earlier than.
“I feel it most likely issues extra to us than to them,” Nets level guard Invoice Melchionni conceded.
It was laborious to consider there was nothing on the road because the closely partisan Knicks crowd created a playoff environment from the opening tip. Nevertheless it didn’t matter. Erving scored 27 factors. The Nets received, 97-87.
“I feel we will compete with anybody,” Melchionni mentioned afterward, with a happy grin.
After all, the 2 groups retreated to their impartial corners after that (although the Knicks did win the rematch two nights later at Nassau Coliseum, 105-87) and have by no means actually come again from them. It’s awfully laborious to recollect a time once they have been actually that serious about a pairing once more. They’ve met thrice within the playoffs because the Nets joined the NBA in 1976, and never one reminiscence of any of these sequence stands out.
There was no Clemens-Piazza snarl-down. No Knick has ever yelled at his teammates earlier than a Nets recreation: “Let’s go on the market like a bunch of crazed canines!” There has by no means been a beef that comes near “… Da, da, da, da-da da, da, da … POTVIN SUCKS!”
They're rivals of geography, and little else.
It hasn’t helped that Knicks-Nets has recently been so one-sided, both. The Nets are 7-0 in opposition to the Knicks the final two years and 9-2 because the Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The 2 Knicks wins got here in 2019-20 when Durant was out for the 12 months with an Achilles harm and Irving missed each video games with a bum shoulder.
That’s the place issues are more likely to keep for the foreseeable future, too. The Nets are desperately making an attempt to shake off the mud of dysfunction that has lined them the final two weeks, and the Knicks are attempting to determine a brand new narrative round themselves, too.
“It’s our subsequent recreation, that’s all I care about,” Knicks level guard Jalen Brunson mentioned of dealing with the Nets on Wednesday, which might be not what he mentioned again at Villanova each time Penn, Temple, La Salle or Saint Joseph’s was the following crew up within the Huge 5 spherical robin.
“I fear concerning the Knicks,” coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned. “That’s greater than sufficient for me.”
Julius Randle did tweak the Nets over their follies: “That’s their drawback. All good over right here in Knick-land, child!”
However even that’s not precisely bulletin-board-quality trash speak. Which might be positive. Each groups are merely making an attempt to trip the early season bull with out getting thrown off: The Nets practically pulled off a miracle comeback in Dallas on Monday evening not lengthy after the Knicks totally manhandled the Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
The Knicks are 5-5; all of their wins have come in opposition to groups with shedding data and all of their losses have come in opposition to groups with profitable data. The Nets are 4-7, however have performed notably higher (particularly on protection) since Irving was suspended.
And there may be that seven-game streak that has included some achingly shut video games, which the Nets have merely been higher at closing out. Final season, the Knicks’ 4 losses to the Nets got here by two (on two James Johnson free throws with 2.0 to play), 5 (after the Knicks led 38-18 following one quarter), three and 12 (after the Knicks led 67-50 on the half).
Thibodeau, Brunson, Randle and his gamers may not give further weight to the Nets, not now, however determining a approach to reverse that development will go a good distance towards retaining them afloat. The Nets want the identical factor proper now. Two scuffling groups and one geographic rivalry. That’s pretty much as good a purpose to be at Barclays Heart on Wednesday evening as any.
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