New York has long been starved of NBA success but now has two teams making strides in 2020-21.
The Brooklyn Nets have made plenty of noise as they have claimed a share of first place in the Eastern Conference, led by the 'big three' of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
But the New York Knicks, the city's favourite team, are also in playoff contention with a .500 record.
On Monday, the two teams go head-to-head at Barclays Center – and Durant, Irving and Harden could all feature for just the eighth time this season.
The Knicks will have their work cut out as they try to stop their star-studded neighbours.
TOP PERFORMERS
Brooklyn Nets - Kyrie Irving
Durant is likely to be seen as the Nets' difference-maker in the biggest games, while Harden, the third man in the 'big three', has established himself as an MVP contender. He cannot afford many more nights off.
But as both players recover from hamstring injury – Durant is "an outside possibility", Harden's absence is "just caution" - it will likely again be Irving's turn to carry the team, showing their remarkable depth.
The point guard leads Brooklyn in total points, scoring 27.7 per game – the best mark of his career and one which puts him eighth in the NBA among all players.
Irving had a game-high 34 points when these teams last met in March, a 117-112 Nets win.
New York Knicks - Julius Randle
First-time All-Star Randle has led the Knicks' improvement this season and he has been talking a big game ahead of this clash.
The forward responded to talk of Brooklyn's 'big three' by suggesting New York have a "big 15", of which he is undoubtedly the star, averaging 23.0 points and 10.7 rebounds this year.
Randle will certainly not be short of motivation.
He had 33 points in the game last month, just shy of Irving's total, and had to be held back from the officials after a late three-pointer was ruled out due to an incorrect traveling call.
KEY BATTLE - BROOKLYN BIGS TO BOSS BIG APPLE?
It is not just the Nets' superstar talent the Knicks have to worry about, as there is also a mismatch at center.
Third-year big man Mitchell Robinson was set for a breakout year in New York, seemingly contributing to the team's decision not to push harder for a buyout signing as Andre Drummond went to the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Robinson, posting 8.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals, fractured his right foot, leaving the Knicks with Nerlens Noel (4.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks) and Taj Gibson (5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds) as their primary options at the five.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn have a whole array of possibilities at the position, led by buyout signings and former All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin but also including DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green and surprise performer Nicolas Claxton (7.9 points, 1.3 blocks).
HEAD TO HEAD
The Nets are 2-0 in this season's series, also beating the Knicks in January, and Monday's game could see a significant power swing.
The all-time record stands at 101-100 in the Knicks' favour, giving Brooklyn the opportunity to pull ahead for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Frank Vogel offered his injury-hit Los Angeles Lakers "no excuses" as they were blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
James is out with a high ankle sprain, while a calf issue continues to keep Davis sidelined.
With new signing Andre Drummond then also ruled out due to a toe injury on his Lakers debut, Vogel was short-handed heading into Sunday's meeting with the Clippers.
But the title-winning head coach still was not impressed by what he saw in a 104-86 loss.
Montrezl Harrell, a former Clipper, led the Lakers in scoring with 19 points, but only fellow center Marc Gasol, who played fewer than 18 minutes, reached double-figures among the starting five.
The reigning NBA champions shot a disappointing 40 per cent from the field, their joint-second worst mark of the season.
Vogel said the Lakers would have to "improve with our offensive execution" and did not accept the injuries to James and Davis as mitigating factors.
"There's no excuses here," he added. "The guys that are playing have what it takes to get the job done, it's that simple."
The team's 86 points were a season low, yet it was also the fifth time in eight games – going back to the meeting with the Atlanta Hawks in which James went down – they have failed to reach 100.
Forward Kyle Kuzma, who had six points on awful two-for-10 shooting, said: "Defensively, we'll be all right. We'll compete, challenge most opponents.
"But offensively, we've got to find ways to play together and put points on the board. You can't win games scoring in the 80s and 90s."
The Los Angeles Clippers made light work of their short-handed neighbours, crushing defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers 104-86.
Kawhi Leonard (19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists) fell just short of a triple-double as the Clippers snapped a two-game skid in the NBA on Sunday.
Marcus Morris posted 22 points and Paul George added 16 for the Clippers, who claimed bragging rights in Los Angeles, where superstar Lakers duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain sidelined.
Former Clippers star Montrezl Harrell led the Lakers with 19 points – Frank Vogel's team have dropped six of nine games.
Vucevic and LaVine sink Nets, Valanciunas' Grizzlies roar against 76ers
The Chicago Bulls ended a six-game losing streak after upstaging the Brooklyn Nets 115-107. Recruit Nikola Vucevic (22 points and 13 rebounds) and Zach LaVine (25 points) fuelled the Bulls, while Tomas Satoransky registered a season-high 19 points and 11 assists. The Nets – playing without James Harden and Kevin Durant – were led by Kyrie Irving's double-double of 24 points and 15 assists.
Jonas Valanciunas guided the Memphis Grizzlies to a surprise 116-100 win at the Philadelphia 76ers. Valanciunas had 16 points and 12 rebounds in a career-high tying 10th consecutive double-double – his longest streak ever within a single season. Memphis' 45 points in the third quarter marked the most in a single period in a road game in franchise history. Tobias Harris put up 21 points in the absence of star 76ers team-mate Joel Embiid, who was rested after returning from a 10-game injury lay-off on Saturday.
It was a milestone result for Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan, who moved up to 20th on the all-time coaching wins (673) list after his team topped the Golden State Warriors 117-111. Double-doubles from Clint Capela (24 points and 18 rebounds) and Danilo Gallinari (25 points and 10 rebounds) inspired the Hawks. The Warriors lost despite Stephen Curry's game-high 37 points, and double-doubles from Kelly Oubre Jr. (20 points and 11 rebounds) and Draymond Green (11 points and 11 assists).
Simmons and Curry headline Philly woes
It was a frustrating game for the 76ers, who were 41.6 per cent from the field and 23.5 from three-point territory. Ben Simmons endured a forgettable outing, the All-Star finishing two-of-six shooting for seven points in 26 minutes. Seth Curry was one-of-six shooting, while he made just one of five attempts from three-point range for three points. Fellow starters Danny Green (six points on two-of-seven shooting) and Mike Scott (nine points on three-of-10 shooting) all struggled.
P.J. Washington made one of six shots from the field – nailing just one of his three efforts from beyond the arc – as he finished with three points in the Charlotte Hornets' 116-86 defeat away to the Boston Celtics.
The Houston Rockets went down 122-115 to the New Orleans Pelicans, with Avery Bradley ending the game two-for-nine shooting and five points in 26 minutes.
A championship winner with the Lakers, Rajon Rondo made his Clippers debut. But the veteran did not have the greatest game. Rondo made one of three field goals and committed four turnovers in 13 minutes.
The Joker does it all
Nikola Jokic showcased his MVP credentials and playmaking abilities with another impressive performance. He recorded 17 points and 16 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 119-109 win over the lowly Orlando Magic.
Sunday's results
Chicago Bulls 115-107 Brooklyn Nets
Los Angeles Clippers 104-86 Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics 116-86 Charlotte Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies 116-100 Philadelphia 76ers
Atlanta Hawks 117-111 Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans 122-115 Houston Rockets
Denver Nuggets 119-109 Orlando Magic
Knicks at Nets
It will be another rivalry clash on Monday with bragging rights on the line between the New York Knicks (25-25) and the Nets (34-16). The Nets could welcome back both Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said "of course" James Harden's absence was a factor as the NBA championship hopefuls lost to the Chicago Bulls.
The Nets – already missing Kevin Durant (hamstring) – were without MVP candidate Harden due to right hamstring tightness for Sunday's 115-107 defeat against the Bulls.
Kyrie Irving led the way with 24 points and 15 assists for the short-handed Nets, who had won five consecutive games and 10 of their last 12.
Harden has been averaging 25.9 points, 11.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game this season and Nash told reporters: "Of course it's a factor [playing without Harden].
"I mean, you're losing an MVP candidate, you're not as potent. But we still have found a way to win a lot of games this year to win without guys in the line-up.
"So tonight I just thought we weren't quite sharp enough, we didn't move the ball enough, make quick enough decisions, get downhill and really stretch em out, so credit to them.
"They played well. We didn't play our best. I don't want to make any excuses about who wasn't here. We could have played a little bit better, a little bit sharper, a little more thrust of pace, and we'll learn from it."
The Nets used a bigger line-up against the Bulls, with former All-Stars Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge both in the starting five.
Griffin had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes, while Aldridge finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.
"We'll see how they come out of this. But we experimented with a big line-up. It was very unlike us in one respect. I don't love it for us," added Nash.
"Having said that, it's hard to judge it on one performance. I think some of it we experimented with because of the availability and matchups, but going forward, that's not something I think we'll see a ton of."
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said it was an easy decision to sit Joel Embiid for the NBA clash with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Embiid was absent from Sunday's frustrating 116-100 defeat at home to the Memphis Grizzlies after returning from a 10-game injury lay-off on Saturday.
All-Star and MVP candidate Embiid posted 24 points, eight rebounds and two assists in Philadelphia's 122-113 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, having been sidelined due to bone bruising to his left knee.
The 76ers did not take any risks with Embiid, however, as they prevented their star from featuring in back-to-back games.
"His first game back was yesterday [Saturday]," Rivers explained prior to the 76ers' defeat to the Grizzlies in Philadelphia.
"I would say, any player, not just Joel, any player who's been out for three weeks and plays in a game, you probably don't play on the next night. It's just smart."
Rivers added: "This one is pretty simple. I don't think this is a hard decision for any of us.
"All the other ones, we go by game by game and day by day, but this one didn't take a lot of thought."
The 76ers and Brooklyn Nets share identical 34-16 records atop the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee Bucks star Jrue Holiday has signed a lucrative four-year contract extension worth up to $160million with the NBA franchise.
The Bucks confirmed the deal on Sunday, with All-Star Holiday declining his player option for the 2021-22 season as part of the agreement.
Holiday's agent Jason Glushon told ESPN that the deal includes a player option for the fourth year in 2024-25 as the Bucks – chasing their first championship since 1971 – solidify their core of two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and the former.
The Bucks acquired guard Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans via a four-team trade in November.
"I'm a Buck for life," Holiday said in a video via Milwaukee's Twitter account. "Just know that I'm glad to be a part of Bucks Nation. Let's do some big things, man. I'm really excited."
Holiday is averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.82 steals (second in the NBA) in 31.7 minutes per game this season.
In Holiday's 35 starts, the Bucks have tallied a 25-10 record. He is shooting a career-high 50.9 per cent from the field to go with 39.0 per cent from three-point range.
Holiday is one of four players in the NBA (Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic, Fred VanVleet) to be averaging at least 16.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in 2020-21.
"We are grateful for the time we've been able to spend learning about the Bucks organisation, our team and the greater Milwaukee community," said Jrue and Lauren Holiday.
"We appreciate how Jon [Horst], Coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer] and the entire staff, along with our team-mates and fans, have supported us since the trade to Milwaukee. We have a special group that wants to put in the work and compete for a championship every year.
"We look forward to working closely with our fans and the community, as well as continue to provide more opportunities and resources with our JLH Fund throughout Milwaukee. We're incredibly blessed to stay here, and we believe Milwaukee will be home for our family for many years to come."
Holiday holds career averages of 15.9 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 751 career games (675 starts).
"Jrue is one of the top guards in the NBA and we are thrilled to sign him to this extension," said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. "Adding him to our team has made us better on both ends of the floor.
"He's an elite defender and an impactful offensive player with the ability to score, shoot and facilitate. Beyond basketball, Jrue and his wife Lauren have already demonstrated the real impact they're willing to make in our community through the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund."
Joel Embiid confessed he thought his season was done after returning from a 10-game injury lay-off in the Philadelphia 76ers' 122-113 beating of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Last month, Embiid crumbled to the floor after his leg buckled during the third quarter of the 76ers' beating of the Washington Wizards.
Fortunately for Embiid and Philadelphia the issue was not as bad as he first feared and he has been recovering from bone bruising to his left knee.
The team rallied in his absence by going 7-3 in that timeframe and Embiid reflected on that night in Washington.
"When I got hurt, and was laying on the floor in Washington, honestly, I thought I was done," Embiid said.
"I thought my season was done. The pain, how bad it was hurting, I just knew that it was something worse than we saw after.
"I was just crying and asking myself, 'Why me? Why does it always happen to me? When everything seems to be going well with the team and myself, something always has to happen'."
There were positives to take for Embiid, who finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the win.
But there was, as perhaps you would expect, a little rust. By the end of the contest, he had four turnovers, was six for 14 from the field and missed with each of his four three-point attempts.
Embiid said part of the problem was the knee brace he was wearing and is confident his rhythm will return in time.
"Defensively, it's easy. I've got to just be myself. Block shots and protect the paint, not let anything get in there," he added.
"But offensively, I'm going to kind of blame the brace I was wearing. It just felt like I just didn't have the rhythm all game. It felt like I had an itch on my shot, every single shot. It wasn't smooth.
"I had no rhythm. I hate the brace and that was part of it.
"I just have to get used to it, play with it and hope it keeps getting better. But offensively, I had way too many turnovers."
The 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets are neck and neck with 34-15 records in the Eastern Conference.
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