The Knicks found themselves facing their cross-river rivals Monday night, a test with the stakes and challenges raised by the fact that the Nets have emerged as the Eastern Conference front-runners.
But the standings, the possibility of a first-round playoff matchup or even bragging rights when they can sit and dine together were not enough to break the Knicks from their focus on the task in front of them.
"Going into the season we wanted to establish a style of play, build a foundation, build the right habits and improve daily," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "So that’s what we work towards.