They are championship favorites after loading up on a star-stacked roster led by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Julius Randle became a first-time All-Star under new head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the Knicks have hovered around a .500 record virtually all year.
Nets head coach Steve Nash says he doesn’t read too far into these matchups against their cross-bridge rival.
So for us with just a constantly shifting roster and health, more just trying to manage day-to-day to how we can protect this group and move it forward,” Nash said pregame.
The Celtics acquired Evan Fournier from the Magic, and the Pacers welcomed Caris LeVert back from his kidney procedure.
So while there’s a possibility the Knicks and Nets could meet in the playoffs for the first time in over 15 years, the reality is they have to take care of their own backyard before peeking across the bridge.
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