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| Lebron and 'Melo have been going at it since high school, tonight will add another chapter to this epic rivalry. |
Last year when the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony to go along with Amar'e Stoudemire they immediately sent a message to the rest of the league, but more importantly to the Miami Heat; they were here to contend. Once Chauncey Billups popped that game winning three pointer last year around this time last year, the rivalry instantly became valid again. Billups is long gone, and Lebron James isn't even the biggest story in the game. Tonight it will be about Jeremy Lin, not Lebron, not Carmleo, not Dwyane Wade nor Amar'e Stoudemire.
Both the Knicks and Heat are sizzling. Miami has rolled off seven straight victories including destroying the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks are 8-2 in their last 10, highlighting wins over the Jazz, Lakers and most impressively an offensive showcase vs the Dallas Mavericks. It's as if two Acela trains are hurdling toward each other with the meeting point being the American Airlines Arena at 7 PM tonight. We're talking about a game with potential as being the most watched regular season game in NBA history. Linsanity vs. the league's favorite villain. 'Melo vs. D-Wade. The northern nightlife city vs. the southern nightlife city. The story lines run deeper than Lebron's receding hairline.
In terms of the actual game, we've got two defensive powerhouses going at it. Yes I just called the New York Knicks a defensive powerhouse. The Heat are 5th in defensive efficiency and the Knicks are 6th. Defensive efficiency is not a BS stat like some think, it is whittled down to how many points a team allows per possession, basically adjusting defense to the pace and flow of each individual game. The days of the Knicks and Heat brawling are a thing of the past, but expect the defensive intensity to be just as high as it was in the nineties. If Jeremy Lin thinks he's driving to the hole like he's on I-95, he's in for a rough night. Lebron has been high-flying his way through this season, but Tyson Chandler is ready to keep him grounded. There will be big shots, monster alley-oops and dazzling drives to the basket.
Jeremy Lin could shut down Twitter, annihilate Facebook, and destroy ESPN if he has a big game and the Knicks win. But it's not like Twitter is going to make it through the first half anyways. I'm not sure the importance of this contest could be compacted into a short blog post, any ESPN article or any Sportscenter short. Tonight's game, if it's a good one, could have exceedingly positive implications for the NBA, implications they haven't seen since Michael Jordan was in the league.
But we should also take a step back for a second. In the grand scheme of things, this game doesn't matter. It's a middle of the year matchup, with both teams well on their way to playoff appearances. The All-Star break is this weekend and everyone is raring for some much need rest. If the Knicks lose, so be it. They'll be 1 game under .500 again, still 2 1/2 games ahead of the struggling Cavaliers in the nine spot. If the Heat lose, they'll still be an absurd 26-8. No one's season is going to end tonight. No one's job is on the line. It's a meaningful game in February, not March not April and certainly not May or June.
So when you watch tonight's game, your head might explode, I get it. I'm probably going to be on my couch freaking out, jumping around like House of Pain every time Lin throws an alley oop, and then punching a wall every time Lebron or D-Wade do what ever it is they do. But tomorrow we will all wake up and either heal our wounds or throw a small fist pump and it'll all be over; life will go on. Yet, we all need to soak in the moment, because tonight could be one of those ball games you never forget.
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