Facing the Knicks presented the Nets with an opportunity to show that they were experiencing something more than just a P.J. bounce. Through a quirk of scheduling—a dumb quirk, to be honest—this was the fourth and final regular-season game between the Knicks and Nets, and though the Nets are still new on the New York scene, the teams have seen their rivalry come surprisingly far in a short amount of time. A win here would give the Nets a split of the season series.
There may be a long way to go, but considering the Nets are three months into their Brooklyn phase, the games between the teams have been especially intense, the players picking up on the fans’ obvious desire to make this pairing a legit rivalry.
If the Nets want to do that, if they want to have their fans develop a loathing for the Knicks—and vice versa—they will have to keep pace in the standings. And on Monday, the Nets showed they are all the way back, that the bizarre 3-10 interlude that followed the 11-4 start under Johnson is truly behind them, and they’re ready to get back to challenging the Knicks in the Atlantic Division and staking a claim to the No. 2 spot in the East behind the Miami Heat. The Nets closed the division gap to one game with the win. Meeting reporters before the game, Carlesimo tried to downplay the importance of Monday’s outcome. “It’s so early to think about standings,” he said. “We’ve got half of the year left. I’m glad we are closer to them. If we stay closer to them, it means we’re having a good year. But it’s really more about Brooklyn against Manhattan and trying to get this thing even at 2-2.” Well, it’s even now. The Nets had to find a way to win a game on the road in a pretty amped-up environment. They managed, and in doing so, they showed they’re back among the better teams in the East.
