Set to meet for the third time this season, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets hope to give their respective fan bases something to cheer about when they tip off against one another Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Even though they’ve already clinched a postseason berth under first-year head coach Jason Kidd, the Nets (40-33, 14-22 away) still have plenty to play for during the final nine games of the regular season. Currently slated as the No. 5 team in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn still has its sights set on leapfrogging the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls, who they trail by 1 ½ games for the East’s No. 3 seed.
Following a slow start that saw them drop near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Jason Kidd is extremely pleased with his team’s progress after clinching a playoff berth with a 105-96 victory over the Houston Rockets Tuesday night. Following the franchises 14th straight home triumph, the former standout point guard says that he believed in the process of becoming a team and even though his side had to endure major injuries -- most notably to All-Star center Brook Lopez -- the way the Nets have come together has been fun to watch.
“I trust the process of becoming a team,” Kidd said. "I think when you look at the high expectations, the new faces, new defensive schemes, offensive schemes, guys finding their way, being traded for the first time, there a lot of different things that are going on and you've got to put the pieces of the puzzle together. And you sprinkle in some injuries. So it's just a matter of time, being patient. We didn't get off to a great start but guys kept working and we found our way. Those guys are playing at a high level. And as I said earlier, I just have to stay out of their way.”
While the Nets continue to play at a high level, the New York Knicks are making a strong push to land the final playoff spot in the conference, something that didn’t seem like a possibility after dropping seven consecutive decisions last month. Following up the seven-game skid with an eight-game win streak and 11 victories in their last 14 outings, the Knicks have placed themselves right back in contention. Trailing the Atlanta Hawks by one game in the standings (2 in the loss column), head coach Mike Woodson appreciates the effort of all those involved -- including Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging 28 points and over 8 rebounds per game -- but another major reason for New York’s success according to their coach is the reemergence of Amar’e Stoudemire.
“I couldn’t be more proud of him,’’ Woodson said when asked about Stoudemire’s resiliency in recovering from three knee surgeries and a back procedure. “Amare’s worked to play basketball. A lot of players would’ve called it quits. He’s hanging right there with us. To keep bouncing back, it takes a lot of mental and physical effort. He keeps doing it. That to me is a sign of a true pro. A lot of guys would after a while forget it and say: ‘I had enough, enough is enough.’ He hasn’t been like that. I admire him for that. I know how hard he’s worked.”
New York will certainly need the continued effort of Stoudemire Wednesday night against a Nets team that has won 11 of their last 15 contests.
New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets: DATE, TIME & VIEWING INFO
DATE: Wednesday, April 2
TIME: 7 p.m., ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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