The New York Knicks will host the charging Brooklyn Nets in a Martin Luther King Day matinee at Madison Square Garden. The contest headlines a nine-game NBA slate that features several other big matchups.
NBA 2013 schedule: Nets-Knicks matinee highlights MLK Day slate
A Madison Square Garden matinee between the Knicks and Nets highlights a busy day of NBA action on Martin Luther King Day.
This will be the 14th straight year New York (25-13) has played on Martin Luther King Day. Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points last year on the holiday, but the Knicks lost 102-93 to the Orlando Magic.
This is the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two teams this year, with the Knicks winning two of the first three. Brooklyn (24-16) has been playing very well since the firing of head coach Avery Johnson, and sit just two games behind New York in the Atlantic Division.
The Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies will kick off the long day of hoops at 1 p.m. ET with what should be a rugged defensive battle. The Pacers (25-16) and Grizzlies (26-13) are statistically the two best defensive teams in the league, so points will be at a premium.
Out west, the Los Angeles Clippers will face the Golden State Warriors in what should be the exact opposite of the Pacers-Grizzlies game. The Clippers (32-9) have won four in a row and are tied atop the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors (24-15) are unsure if big man David Lee will play due to a sprained ankle.
Later in the evening, the Chicago Bulls will host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers (17-23) have lost two straight games and continue to be woeful defensively, but the Bulls (23-16) have mysteriously struggled at the United Center this season. Chicago lost just 12 regular season home games the past two seasons combined, but have gone just 11-11 this year.
Here’s a full look at the holiday schedule via SI.com (all times Eastern):
Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies, 1 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Hornets, 1 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Atlanta Hawks, 2 p.m.
Houston Rockets at Charlotte Bobcats, 2 p.m.
Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks, 3:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 4 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls, 9:30 p.m.
Washington Wizards at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
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