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It’s a battle for New York supremacy on Friday night, as the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets meet at Madison Square Garden.
Tip is scheduled for about 7:40 p.m. ET and will be broadcast locally on YES Network (Nets market) and MSG Network (Knicks market). Depending on your location, your options for watching a live stream of the game will be different.
If You’re in the Nets Market:
FuboTV: YES Network is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. It costs $19.99 per month for the first two months, but a free 7-day trial is offered, allowing you to watch tonight’s game at no cost.
DirecTV Now: YES Network is included in the “Just Right”, “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” channel packages. Those range from $50 to $70 per month, but a free 7-day trial is offered, allowing you to watch tonight’s game at no cost.
Sling TV: YES Network is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. It costs $25 per month, but a free 7-day trial is offered, allowing you to watch tonight’s game at no cost.
If You’re in the Knicks Market:
FuboTV: The “Fubo Premier” channel package is the only streaming service that includes MSG Network. It costs $19.99 per month for the first two months, but a free 7-day trial is offered, allowing you to watch tonight’s game at no cost.
If You’re Outside the Nets & Knicks Markets:
NBA League Pass: Allows you to watch all non-nationally televised, out-of-market games. If you want to watch all teams, it costs $28.99 per month or $199.99 for the year. Or, if you just want to watch one team, it costs $17.99 per month or $119.99 for the year.
Preview
While the Knicks are off to an 0-3 start and very clearly in the midst of a rebuilding year, the Nets have quickly transformed into one of the league’s most exciting teams. They are playing at a break-neck pace–109.72 possessions per 48 minutes, most in the NBA–and the result is a league-best 121.2 points per game, the third-most three-pointers made per game (12.0), a 3-2 record and most recently a huge win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s still uncertain if they’ll continue this kind of success, but it’s clear they will continue to be highly entertaining to watch. D’Angelo Russell was made for Kenny Atkinson’s run-and-gun system. They have a quartet of wings in DeMarre Carroll, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert who are playing at a high level so far. And Jarrett Allen, though only playing 14.5 minutes per game, looks like one of the better big men in this draft class.
It seemed like an impossible feat back when Billy King was running the show, but the Nets are fun again.
On the other side of town, the Knicks are a bit of a mess right now. While Kristaps Porzingis is an obvious bright spot, the team ranks last in the NBA in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating. Tim Hardaway Jr., who got a fairly absurd $70 million in the offseason, is shooting 24.3 percent from the field, No. 8 pick Frank Ntilikina has battled an ankle injury, and Willy Hernangomez who looked like one of the better young center prospects as a rookie, has played just 15 minutes–37 less then Kyle O’Quinn.
Still, it’s early. Porzingis alone is reason to tune in. Enes Kanter has played well. Hardaway Jr. will start shooting better. And Ntilikina is on track to make his home debut on Friday night. It’s been ugly so far, but there are some reasons for optimism.
Oddsmakers see it, too, as the Knicks are favored by two points.