THE GAME IS ON!

Tim Frank, the NBA's chief press spokesman, tweeted the news at 9 p.m. "Knicks-Nets game will be played as scheduled this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Barclays Center."

The tweet ended a day of speculation about the prospects for the nationally televised game. The much anticipated game will be played without the benefit of the billion dollar arena's biggest advantage: its mass transit connection. The city's subway system is not likely to reopen (even partially) before the weekend. Fans will now be forced to use the city's bus system or drive...with limited chances of finding parking.

The lowest subway platform near the arena had a stream of water flowing through its tracks Tuesday night, according to reports but the area was not hit as hard as other areas in the city.

With that out of the way, speculation will turn from whether game will be played to who will play for the Knicks, with Amare Stoudemire out of six to eight weeks and Tyson Chandler slowly recovering from a bone bruise suffered in the Knicks last preseason game vs. the Nets. As of this afternoon, Tyshawn Taylor was marooned in his Hoboken apartment building, surrounded by water.

• Nets-Knicks will play on Thursday - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
• Brooklyn tip-off on as scheduled - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
  
• Knicks-Nets to play Thursday - Mike Mazzeo & Ian Begley - ESPN New York
• Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets NBA will play Thursday - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
• N.B.A. - Nets’ Opener Against Knicks on Thursday Will Be Played - Howard Beck - New York Times
  
• Nets-Knicks will be played despite Sandy's damages - Jeff Zillgitt - USA Today