NBA game of the week

NEW YORK AT BROOKLYN: Tuesday, 4 p.m. PST. TV: ESPN.

These teams have moved beyond the battle for city bragging rights. Way beyond. The Knicks have already handed the Miami Heat a pair of 20-point losses, and the long-lost Nets have found their way, even with Joe Johnson having misplaced his shooting touch. Oh, and Brooklyn also beat the Knicks last month after point guard Deron Williams collected 16 points and 14 assists. The “Broook-lynnn” chants inside the Barclays Center that night finally made the Nets feel welcome in a rivalry game in their own home, after years of being drowned out by Knicks fans in New Jersey.

— Ben Bolch