Live NBA Thread: Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks, 7:30 PM EST

Tuesday night’s game between the Nets and the Knicks is a big one, not because they are cross-river rivals but more because the Nets really need to stay in 8th place if they want to better their odds at making the (non-play-in) playoffs.

The Knicks, on the other hand, will not be in the playoffs this year but they are looking to finish the season strong. They’ve won 6 of their last 10 and are looking to bump ahead of the Wizards in 11th place.

It’s a big game, mostly because the Nets need this. Not for bragging rights, but for actual playoff implications.

Should be fun.

WHO: Brooklyn Nets (41-38) at New York Knicks (35-44)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: ESPN (national), YES (local), WFAN-FM (radio)

Game preview.

Player to watch: Immanuel Quickley

Play the kid! Quickley is one of the more talented youngsters on the team, but hasn’t gotten as many minutes as he should have as Thibodeau spent more time starting Alec Burks at point guard than he should have. Quickley figures to get the bulk of the minutes tonight, and he’s coming off of his first career triple double on Sunday so he’s coming in on a high note.

Going into yesterday’s game, we wrote about Kyrie Irving not getting to the basket as much as he typically does. Last night, Irving drove to the basket a lot more and had his best game since the birthday showcase against the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored a cool 42 points last night and had 17 of them in the fourth as the Rockets tried to make a comeback. Mitchell Robinson poses a tall test at the rim, but look for Irving to attack downhill early and often. He takes his game up a few notches when he’s taking it to the basket and his finishing ability should wow the MSG crowd. This is his first game at the Garden since 2019 and with a chance to finish off the season sweep against your rivals plus playoff positioning at stake, look for Irving to be locked in.

For more on the Knicks, check out Posting and Toasting.