The Knicks, Nets rivalry for New York hasn’t necessarily taken off due to both teams’ lack of success this decade.
It’s been one-sided this year, as the Knicks have taken each of the first three matchups with two of those triumphs coming by 15 points or more.
If you’re looking for some sort of consolation though, there is a tantalizing matchup at the point guard position coming up on Tuesday night from Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET). It’s just not the names you were expecting back in September.
The injury bug has hit the Nets hard as Jeremy Lin went down for the season on opening night while D’Angelo Russell is working his way back to 100 percent after recovering from a knee injury.
For the Knicks, rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina continues to develop, though it has come with its fair share of growing pains.
So on Tuesday night, even with Russell expected to be back after taking a game off for rest, the top backcourt matchup could come in the form of Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie facing off against the Knicks’ Trey Burke.
Dinwiddie was expected to be a fringe guard in New York’s backcourt behind Lin and Russell this season while Burke was just signed from the G-League on Jan. 14.
Yet the two have taken their chances and run with them, forcing New York basketball to sit up and take notice:
