Four days from now, the Brooklyn Nets will hang a Vince Carter banner in the rafters of Barclays Center. A reminder of the halcyon days when this team won basketball games.
That hasn't happened much this season, and Tuesday night's tight 99-95 loss to the rival Knicks was an agonizing display of two New York teams going in very different directions.
Although this one was close, possibly much closer than it should have been, in the end the Knicks climbed another rung on their ladder to the playoffs.
The Nets, meanwhile, have landed on a snake and are sliding toward the bottom, losing talent in an attempt to gain more draft capital in their battle for the top pick.
This latest night of losses in Brooklyn also served as a reminder of what the Nets used to be, with Mikal Bridges returning for the first time since his summer trade across the river. He is the Nets' past and a vital part of the Knicks' present and bright near future.
Their first ball of the night was cheered as it usually was inside this stadium, but this time by half-empty stands occupied mainly by fans dressed in the orange and blue colors of the so-called 'road' team.
The Nets took a chance on stopping Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
It was an impressive night for the Knicks, who proved to be the kings of New York.
In his pregame press conference, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez referred to Bridges as “the enemy,” but in reality it was the home fans who were few and far between, and chants of protest broke out in the third quarter. “Brooklyn sucks” in the crowd.
As far as a starting five in the NBA goes, it doesn't get any better than the Knicks' offer. In Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, they have two legitimate superstars who could be All-Star starters, and with Bridges, OJ Anunoby and Josh Hart alongside them, this team will compete with anyone in the East and beyond.
In the first quarter, except for some blunders, the Nets managed to hold their own. Cam Johnson began the game by avoiding all of his teammates and throwing the ball directly into the chest of an assistant coach on the sideline, and then followed up with an aerial ball that left boos echoing throughout the arena.
From there, however, he bounced back and was a bright spark for a home team that competed to the end in difficult circumstances.
The Nets will retire the legendary Vince Carter's number 15 jersey next weekend
Sydney Sweeney was among the celebrity spectators on the Barclays Center court
In Bridges' absence, Johnson has become the leader of this team and a regular standout player. For that reason, all eyes are on him with two weeks left before the trade deadline.
The Nets are rumored to consider letting him go, but they want at least two first-round picks as they continue to position themselves in the Cooper Flagg draft.
After trading Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn has more than 30 draft picks over the next seven years, and that's likely to improve in the coming weeks. While the present is bleak, there is potential for a bright future with Fernandez as coach.
However, within the Knicks organization, everything revolves around the current crop. Win now and win big. Last season, they fell to the Pacers in the conference semifinals, and this year nothing less than a championship will do.
This performance was another reminder that it won't be an easy road and further proof that, despite the deep-pocketed roster, there will be scares on the horizon.
Towns' 25-point night showed there's new talent on the team, and while the headlines revolved around Bridges' return before the game, it was KAT (and some late heroics from Brunson) on fans' lips when it sounded. the final bell.
The Knicks are in their championship window and praying for glory at the end of the season.
Nic Claxton dunks against the Knicks in front of a packed orange and blue crowd
With seconds left, the Nets were a Nic Claxton 3-pointer away from a barely credible victory, but his miss marked the end of Brooklyn's chances and the game was New York's.
For the Nets organization, it won't matter too much (think bigger picture), but another L on the schedule is a demoralizing place for fans right now.
The narrow victory brings Tom Thibodeau's Knicks to 29-16 on the season. closing the gap with Cleveland and Boston ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.
The reality, however, is that the regular season is just a prelude to what is to come. It's May and beyond that matters.
Here on Tuesday night, Sydney Sweeney was among the superstars invited to the court. And when the NBA Finals roll around, the Knicks will be desperately hoping for some euphoria of their own.