Knicks vs. Nets – Rivalry Runs Deep

The New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks will renew their mini-rivalry tonight at Madison Square Garden with the Knicks coming in as a 7-point favorite over New Jersey. The game means a lot of things: Jay-Z vs. Spike Lee, The Garden State vs. The Empire State, etc., and it actually means a bit to the race for the eighth seed in the playoffs.

The Knicks are just two games out of the last spot as we wind down the NBA regular season while the Nets are 2 ½ out. Neither team is a good bet to make a run for that spot but both will fight until the bitter end to make it happen.

Still, imagine the headlines and the media circus that would come from a Knicks-Cavs first round NBA playoff matchup. Both teams come into this game cold, as they both have losing records in their last ten. The Knicks are actually a pretty solid squad at home having gone 18-15 on the year.

The key to this contest will be the Nets’ absence of guard Devin Harris, the point man and engine of their offensive attack and the guy who fills a ton of roles for a below average team.

With a shoulder strain keeping Harris on the bench for this matchup and the Nets having won the last game between these two teams by 5 in New Jersey on March 8, all of the stars seem to be aligned for a big New York Knicks win in this game and the 7-point spread doesn’t seem all that daunting.

Chris Duhon should also be back at the point guard spot for the Knicks in this game which will only help. The Knicks are a potentially explosive offensive team and Harris’ quickness will be missed in trying to cover Nate Robinson on the other end. Robinson has the quickness to blow by most defenders and the 5-foot-9 dynamo has averaged 24.8 points over his last 5 games. Expect more big numbers from Robinson in this one at home against the Nets and expect a potentially big New York Knicks win, making the Knicks a good bet to cover the spread at home in this one.

The Pick: New York ( -7 ½)