Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
The Knicks share the city with the Brooklyn Nets ’Big 3, but have yet to share the track in the previous two meetings, both Knicks losses.
That is, until possibly Monday night at the Barclays Center, when the Nets threaten to be all healthy and ready to face the Knicks as a trio. There is almost no guarantee, but at least there is a possibility.
After the Knicks ’44-point win in Detroit on Saturday, Reggie Bullock and Julius Randle climbed to the Zoom stage after combining for 49 points.
Randle and Bullock sent a sharp message directed across the Brooklyn Bridge when asked about the chance to finally face the Big 3 Monday of the Nets.
“We have a Big 5,” Bullock said.
“A big 15,” Randle quickly pointed out.
“A big 15,” Bullock continued. “We have a pretty good team. We don’t really care about his Big 3. We know what kind of basketball we can play. We focus on our team and the game plan developed by the coach. That’s all we focus on: the Knicks. “
Even with the Nets ’days and personal injuries, they are still hot as fire, leading the Eastern Conference at 34-15 entering the Sunday Bulls game.
This is the season the Nets participate in a championship, even recently adding former All-Stars Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Knicks? They signed a third-string center Norvel Pelle, who already impacted his blue-collar image in his debut. He played with his right index finger dislocated to make a free throw and block two shots in the final two minutes on Saturday.
These are the 2020-21 Knicks, who lack stars but no warrior spirit. At least they have that edge on Hollywood Nets from KD, Harden and Kyrie.
“We’re worried about ourselves,” said Randle, named All-Star for the first time this season. “We have a whole team of boys. We try to play the right way, we play hard. We play with energy. We feel like we do it, we have a chance to win against anyone. It’s not about them and who they have or don’t have. It’s about us and competing at a high level every night. ”
The Knicks have withstood several injuries on the roster, mostly in starting center Mitchell Robinson, because they do have depth.
The big 15 in fact.
“It has to be the mindset of all teams,” Bullock said. “There are 15 players on the list. With our team we have our leader, coach. We know how great we can be. That was our goal at the beginning of the year to compete against everyone and have fun doing it. ”
Another key to the Knicks ’25-25 record is that their two best players, Randle and RJ Barrett, have been iron horses.
Randle has lost a game. Barrett has played in his fifties. Each has continued with recent injuries: Randle with a thigh blow and Barrett an ankle sprain. This is not the culture of the Nets.
Across the East River, Durant has played just 19 games this season due to a hamstring strain that followed his sabbatical season of Achilles surgery last season. Irving has exhausted many personal days and Harden recently reached the list of injuries with a hamstring injury.
If Durant adjusts to Monday, that would mean in his two seasons with the Nets, he would have played 20 of the 127 possible games (including the bubble playoffs).
By contrast, in his two seasons with the Knicks, Randle has played 112 of 115 possible games. But who counts in this new NBA?
The culture of rookie coach Steve Nash is about being durable for the playoffs. Perhaps Tom Thibodeau’s culture of durability and chemistry developed during the regular season will harden them during the postseason.
Bullock and Randle have been part of an initial five that has remained stable for 42 games, whether the starting center has been Robinson or Nerlens Noel.
“We know the talent they have,” Thibodeau said. “We must be prepared. Even if there is one, they still have a lot of talent and have added more talent to their team. But we know that if we defend and keep turnover low, we are more than capable ”.