Inside The Nets

What to Expect From Nets' Season Finale vs. Knicks

Brooklyn closes out its regular season at home tomorrow afternoon.

Kyler Fox

Jan 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Tomorrow afternoon presents two main "lasts" for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2024-25 campaign. The 1 p.m. tilt will be the last home game until next fall, the last meeting with the New York Knicks—and former teammate Mikal Bridges—as well as the last regular season game of their inaugural rebuilding year.

Facing a Knicks squad headed for a round one matchup with the Detroit Pistons, it remains unkown whether head coach Tom Thibodeau will rest his key contributors. While known inside and outside the league as a coach willing to push his stars to the limit, Thibodeau could play the safe card in an attempt to protect the likes of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.

Depending on the veteran coach's decision, fans could be treated to a cross town showdown between the Eastern Conference foes' young cores. The contest may not be as glamorous should this prove to be the case, but two things would be certain: the game would be far more competitive, and this situation would give the Nets their best shot at stealing a game in the season series.

Heading into tomorrow, the Knicks have claimed all three prior meetings—most recently a highly competitive Jan. 22 99-95 win at the Barclays Center. Much has changed since then, most notably on Brooklyn's end. With Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, D'Angelo Russell and a host of others not expected to suit up, the last meeting with New York this year will be the young core's first action against the Knicks.

Drew Timme, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, Tyson Etienne, Trendon Watford and Tosan Evbuomwan have all seen their roles increase in the month of April, and the fivesome will be relied upon heavily tomorrow. They combined for 49 points points in the Nets' loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, accounting for more than half the team's total output.

Pregame storylines will be contingent on the players New York lists as available because if Brunson, Towns, and company play, Brooklyn fans celebrating the end of a disappointing season could very well be treated to a repeat of recent blowout falters against Minnesota and Atlanta.

Nets-Knicks is slated for 1 p.m. EST.

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Kyler Fox
KYLER FOX

Kyler is a staff writer for Brooklyn Nets on SI, where he covers all things related to the team. He is also the managing editor of The Torch, St. John's University's independent student-run newspaper.

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