Game Thread- Nets ( 24-16) vs Knicks ( 25-13): Time to shut Sir Charles mouth!

[still a fan]

Date: Monday, January 21 , 2012
Time: 3:30PM EST
Location:Madison Square Garden, New York, NY




TV: MSG









Brooklyn Nets(24-16)
PG...........SG..........SF..........PF...........C

Williams---Johnson---Wallace---Humphries---Lopez



(25-13)


Jason Kidd | Iman Shumpert | Carmelo Anthony | Chris Copeland | Tyson Chandler

A final city matchup this season

Ever since Joe Johnson arrived in Brooklyn and stepped into the borough’s rivalry with Manhattan, the moment he became a Net and inherited their rivalry with the Knicks, he has fueled it by insisting the Nets are the city’s top team. They haven’t been, but tomorrow’s final game between the two teams this season offers one last chance.

It’s the Knicks’ usual 3:30 p.m. matinee on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but the brotherly love at the Garden will be infused with a playoff vibe. The Knicks have won the past two meetings, and the Nets say they owe them.



“We’ve got to go in there with the mind-frame that we understand it’s going to be a hostile environment. And some way, somehow, we’ve got to come out of there on top,” Johnson said. “They beat us the last two times, so we owe them.

“It’s definitely hard not to get caught up in it, because everybody’s always talking about it. I mean honestly, every time we play them it feels like a playoff-type game on the floor, the atmosphere, so that’s what I expect Monday.’’

After having their Barclays Center opener against the Knicks postponed because of Hurricane Sandy, the Nets won the rescheduled clash on Nov. 26 in overtime. But the Knicks took the last two meetings, the most recent a 100-86 rout in the Garden as the crowd mocked “Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!” chants in typical Manhattan derision.

Both losses were part of a poor stretch for the Nets, dropping eight of 10 overall, and three games after that Garden defeat, coach Avery Johnson was fired. But the Nets have been a different team since interim coach P.J. Carlesimo took over, having won eight of their past nine and 10 of their past 12.

“It’s a really big game for us. They’ve beaten us twice in a row. It’s a huge game. We’re only a couple games back of them, so it’s big,’’ said Deron Williams, who criticized Johnson’s system days before he was fired, but has led the Nets’ resurgence since.

Meanwhile, the Knicks have cooled after an 18-5 start. They’re 25-13 and just a game behind Miami in the Eastern Conference standings, but they’ve split their last 10 games. The Nets — 24-16 and fifth in the East — are just two games behind them, looking to cut that in half.

“It’s very important,” Joe Johnson said. “It’s like two games. This is a game we really have to focus in on, and know what’s at hand in order for us to move up in the standings. The Knicks are playing great basketball, so it’s going to be tough to go into Madison Square Garden and get a win, but I’m sure we can do it.”

brian.lewis@nypost.com

[Anji]

First.


And when ever I see old games with Jeffries, I feel like that is the kind of 3/4 the Knicks are missing. Maybe not as bad offensive, but a true glue guy that could guard all 5 positions would be great.

[Jesse2272]

Brittney Griner is going for 30

[Anji]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXor2Hu7TQ#t=02m24s

[Jesse2272]

[ewmania]

cant wait for this game

[bofakop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXor2Hu7TQ#t=02m24s

OMG...can we sign her??

[Anji]

You sure that's a her, because my sack didn't think so.

[Jesse2272]

yep not sure

no reaction here

[still a fan]

I hate wishing injuries on any player but since he's already injured hope he takes the next two games off lol


We play them next:

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley underwent another set of X-rays Saturday on his injured rib, coach Doc Rivers said.


Bradley was injured Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets and missed Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls.

A team spokesman later noted the X-rays came back negative. Rivers previously stressed that Bradley's condition hasn't worsened at all, but that the lack of improvement prompted another test.


"They just want to make sure (his ribs aren't) cracked or something like that. I think the X-ray showed it wasn't, but maybe do a deeper one just to make sure," he said.


Rivers said Bradley could still travel with the team for the upcoming two-game road trip, but listed him as doubtful for Sunday's matchup with the Pistons.


"It just didn't improve," Rivers said. "He was better. He told me he felt much better and then today he said, 'Man, I just feel the same,' so that's not an improvement."


Bradley made his season debut on Jan. 2 after recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries and helped lift Boston to a 6-2 record over the eight games he played in before missing Friday's matchup with Chicago.

[still a fan]

This game is now the most important game of the year, you know till the Boston game lol

but seriously:

We have Indy, Nets and Bulls breathing down our necks, we are one game back of the Heat.

Add the fact that a win gives us the tie breaker with the Nets for the season series and its both a division and conference game.

Its also the bragging rights of NY, its just huge for a January game.

I hope we come out gang busters, they have been finding ways to win and their guard play has improved since the coaching change.

Iman will need more than 15 minutes here and we can't let them crush us on the boards. Now Felton has been terrible against the Nets and even though he's needed our pg play cannot get worse than those games.

[Jesse2272]

AB is a beast

[xxplayerxx23]

No way I want Boston 100% no excuses. Iman will guard rondo! Anyway for this game should be fun. Hopefully we get this win. I expect a close one Knicks by 6

[dantoni hater]

we need to win one of the next two games,we can win brooklyn but it will be difficult at boston.brooklyn bulls and indiana are very close,after boston we have 7 games that we are supposed to win,hawks-orlando-sixers-kings-bucks-detroit and wizzards.we can go 32-15,hawks bucks and boston will probably be 6-8 seed,brooklyn cant continue to win they had an easy schedule,i think bulls and indiana will be the teams that will fight with us for that 2nd seed

[knicksfan1794]

i think we win tn they will not be able to stop us we just matchup to well against them in my opinion