What took 14 seasons to accomplish will be repeated two weeks later.
When the Nets beat the Knicks in overtime on Nov. 26, it was the first time the two rivals had met when each had a winning record since April 4, 1998, according to Elias Sports Bureau. (Sam Cassell and Keith Van Horn led the Nets to a 97-94 win that day.)
The teams will meet again Tuesday as they find themselves near the top of the NBA’s Atlantic Division and competing for the top spots in the Eastern Conference. The timing is ideal with the Nets breaking in their new Brooklyn home.
“Players are excited to see and feel people that care for them,” TNT and YES Network analyst Mike Fratello said. “[The] last two years in New Jersey were not the greatest when they were leaving. There were people there, but it wasn’t the same level of the excitement.”
And that excitement has not been limited only to the fans in Barclays Center. Saturday’s loss to the Heat was the Nets’ highest-rated game (2.15) since the team went to the YES Network for the 2002-03 season. Not to be left behind, the Knicks’ rating are up from 1.89 through 12 games last season to 3.22 this season (three games couldn’t be measured because of Hurricane Sandy).
Last year’s Knicks ratings (3.30) set a record, but that largely was due to the inflated ratings brought about by Jeremy Lin’s run with the team.
“[The Knicks] are a fun team to watch,” said MSG play-by-play man Mike Breen, who will be calling Tuesday night’s game.
“They’ve been so unselfish. The ball movement even has Clyde [Frazier] excited. And they’ve played defense the way New York fans want their teams to play defense. Unselfish play and defense brings back fond memories for Knicks fans and it’s the kind of team they want to root for. And that’s the way the team has been playing.”
Coming into the season, most thought both teams were headed for the playoffs. But they were expected to be in the bottom half of the playoff bracket behind the likes of the Heat, Celtics and Pacers. Instead, the Knicks, Nets and Heat are three of the top teams in the East.
“It’s great for the NBA. It’s great for New York,” Breen said. “And just by watching the first game, it has the potential — it’s not there yet — to be a fantastic rivalry. Both Both teams are good. Both teams have a chance to be among the elite in the Eastern Conference, and they are playing games that have real meaning, and they are battling for the same divisional title. It won’t get there until they play one or two playoff series. That’s the only way a real rivalry is born.”
Though the Knicks never have been short on fan passion — both positive and negative — the Nets are dealing with a different level of popularity following their move over from New Jersey. It makes it more exciting for the players, and for the announcers.
“Are you kidding me? It’s so much nicer and easier,” Fratello said. “There’s a full crowd. They are into the game. The players are doing well. ‘Hey, this means something.’ Opposed to when the team would be down 30 points in the second quarter and you are making stuff up to keep the fans interested.”