NBA game of the week: New York at Brooklyn on Monday

Looking ahead

NEW YORK AT BROOKLYN: Monday, 4 p.m. PST, TNT

This battle of boroughs finally comes with some bragging rights, and a say in who rules the Atlantic Division. The Knicks will play their first game at the $1-billion Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Amare Stoudemire’s absence (rehabbing from knee surgery) has freed Knicks Coach Mike Woodson to sell his team on playing defense. And, yes, that is Carmelo Anthony you see hustling down to the defensive end, while new point guard Raymond Felton runs the offense. Felton has been more productive than the departed Jeremy Lin. Meanwhile, the Nets’ billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov has spent freely to land and keep Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez. A rivalry is brewing.

— Barry Stavro