Barclays Center (Paul Martinka/ photographer)
The NBA didn’t waste any time in getting its newest version of a Subway Series rivalry off the ground.
The Brooklyn Nets will play their first regular-season game at home in the Barclays Center against their in-city rival Knicks on Thursday, Nov. 1, league sources confirmed. The game will be televised by TNT — the Nets were not on national TV even once last season. Their last nationally televised game — other than NBA-TV — was on ESPN, March 30, 2011. That was Deron Williams’ first trip to the Garden as a Net. The Knicks won, 120-116, behind 39 points from Carmelo Anthony.
So the opener in Brooklyn will represent the third time the two area enemies start a season against each other — with all three on the Nets’ home court. On Oct. 30, 1981, in Larry Brown’s debut as Nets coach, Maurice Lucas scored 25 points and the Knicks beat the Nets, 103-99, in the Meadowlands despite 17 rebounds by Buck Williams.
On Oct. 31, 1986, the Nets and Knicks again went at it in East Rutherford and this time Williams didn’t waste 17 rebounds — or 20 points as the Nets won, 108-97, despite 20 points by Bill Cartwright for the Knicks.
There will be far more interest in the rivalry this season than there has been in ages. The Nets, out of the playoffs since 2007, have committed to more than $335 million in salaries during the offseason, placing them, with the Knicks, among the NBA’s four highest payroll teams. They re-signed Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and made upgrades including Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans, C.J. Watson and European star Mirza Teletovic.
The Knicks, who made their second straight playoff appearance last season, made additions which include Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, Marcus Camby and Ronnie Brewer, but their subtractions include Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields.
The NBA will unveil its schedule tonight at 7 o’clock on NBA-TV.
* Center Nazr Mohammed took a physical in Chicago yesterday and could be the one who got away from the Nets this offseason (or it could be Andre Kirilenko, who is likely bound for Minnesota). The loss of Mohammed still would leave the Nets without a traditional backup center, but general manager Billy King, who seemed to make a deal-a-day the past couple of weeks, said he is not worried.
King said he feels the lack of a traditional backup for Lopez is “not really that important.”
That’s because the Nets have two physical power forwards in Humphries and Reggie Evans who have handled the role in the past and in whom King has faith.
“We are pretty much done,” King said.
* The Knicks officially announced the signing of free-agent shooting guard Ronnie Brewer. Brewer, yet another defection from the Bulls bench, will get a one-year veteran minimum deal worth $1.069 million.
Brewer, viewed as an upgrade over Fields who signed an offer sheet and landed in Toronto, started 43 games for Chicago last season, averaging 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The 6-foot-7 Brewer is a veteran of six NBA seasons in Utah, Memphis and Chicago.