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The New York Knicks take on their crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in Brooklyn. Ahead of the matchup, Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein questioned the legitimacy of the two teams’ rivalry.
New York (15-11) and Brooklyn (13-13) are only separated by two games in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, neither squad projects to be a title contender this season. However, the Knicks remain the far more popular New York team due to their storied history dating back to 1946.
According to Hartenstein, the disparity in fans between New York and Brooklyn diminishes their rivalry. The big man added that road games at the Barclays Center feel like home games for the Knicks.
“Is there a rivalry? I don’t feel it,” Hartenstein said.
“I mean, most of the time we go to Barclays it’s mostly Knicks fans, so, I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry at this point.”
The Knicks and Nets have yet to square off this season, while last season, they split their season series 2-2. However, some of those games came before Brooklyn traded away stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving midseason. So, their season series could have a different outcome this time around.
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New York looking to finish above .500 on road trip
Wednesday’s contest against Brooklyn marks the Knicks’ final game of their five-game road trip. They are 2-2 thus far with wins over the Phoenix Suns and LA Lakers and losses against the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers.
According to Knicks star forward Julius Randle, his team probably could have fared better. However, he’s fortunate to have the opportunity to finish the road trip above .500.
“Solid,” Randle said. “We very easily could look at every game and be like we could have won. But to come here and go 2-2 and have a chance to finish above .500 on the road is big.”
New York is in the thick of the East playoff picture, sitting fifth (15-11) after 26 games. Meanwhile, the Knicks are just five-and-a-half games behind the first-place Boston Celtics (20-5). So a winning streak could propel them toward a top seed.
