The Knicks Fix

It's a few minutes before Knicks-Nets tips at the Garden. Friday Night Fights (can I say that after the Denver disaster?). There's a tangible buzz. And Isiah Thomas seems to be loving it.

"Just the talk around the city, just the feeling and the atmosphere that you're kind of sensing in the building a little bit," he said. "People are anticipating a good game and I hope we give them one."

Eddy Curry said Thomas has been hyping the game up with the Knicks for the past two days.

"We've never really pumped up any other game like this before," he said. "Coach has really been trying to get behind us and light a fire under us and get us to play like we've never played before. We'll be ready to go tonight. We can't wait to be out there."

Thomas may be talking up the game, but he's been very careful to be complimentary of the Nets.

"I don't know if it's a rivalry yet," he said. "You need two good teams to have a rivalry. We know they're a good team and we're trying to crystallize and it become one of those teams that people refer to and look at as a good team."

The Nets have continued to downplay the game. There's no rivalry. It's not a big game for them. Not like it used to be, when they once looked up at the mighty Knicks from across the Hudson. Not since Jason Kidd arrived and led the Nets to 20 wins over 24 games against the Knicks.

“I believe them," Thomas said. "They’ve accomplished a lot and they’ve done a lot. We’re the team that’s chasing. We’re the hunters. They’re pretty much grazing in the grass. We’re the hunters.”

Enjoy. I'll check in tomorrow from Indianapolis.