Round 3 is at the Garden this time.
The Knicks-Nets Battle of the Boroughs has gone through two legs at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with the teams managing a split in two wildly exciting, close battles. The Nets survived 96-89 in overtime on Nov. 26. Then, on Dec. 11, the Knicks took a 100-97 win when Jason Kidd, who missed the first installment with back spasms, nailed a 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to beat his old team.
Hey, at least rivalries still thrive somewhere in the NBA.
“The NBA was trying to get it over with quick, setting us up like this … three times in the first two months,” smiled the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony, who might miss tonight with a sore left ankle. “They’re not going nowhere. We’re not going nowhere. This will be here for a long, long time.”
And despite the proximity of the teams — even taking in New Jersey — a rivalry was a long time coming because both teams should be good at the same time.
“Both teams, you got to win. You got to put yourself in that kind of light,” said Knicks coach Mike Woodson. “And there’s been some struggles here over the years as well as in New Jersey.”
* In order to get Amar’e Stoudemire to practice with the D-League BayHawks, he was assigned to the team, along with Chris Copeland and James White, who gave a little more depth and substance to the roster yesterday. Copeland and White will be recalled today.
* Linsanity still is making its mark and achieving new heights in New York. MSG Network’s Monday night telecast of the Knicks-Rockets game, featuring Jeremy Lin’s initial return to the Garden, was the highest rated Knicks game of the season.
Knicks telecasts have averaged a 3.41 household rating in Nielsen Ratings games. Monday’s telecast registered a 4.77 rating.