2012 NBA schedule: Knicks, Nets meet for first time Monday night

New York City has been waiting all season for the Sandy-postponed matchup between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets that will finally take place Monday night as the teams kick off their crosstown rivalry.

After the Knicks got off to the hottest start in the league by winning their first six games, the Nets are almost even with them in the standings, having reeled off a five-game winning streak of their own as well as their last two games. Both teams have shown themselves to be possible elites: New York held the No. 1 defensive efficiency in their league for a while, and although that's fallen off, they still have the league's best offense with Carmelo Anthony averaging 25.6 points while distributing out of pressure leading to players knocking down shots. Meanwhile, Brooklyn's starting five looks as good as advertised, with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez trading big nights and Kris Humphries looking consistent as a rebounder. Gerald Wallace hasn't really filled in yet after returning from his injury, but he'll be key in shutting down Anthony in Monday night's matchup.

Each team moves on to also play Wednesday night, with Brooklyn playing the Boston Celtics after beating them earlier in the year and the Knicks heading to Milwaukee to face the Bucks.

Here's a look at the upcoming schedule for the two New York teams:

Monday, Nov. 26: New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets, 7 p.m., TNT

Wednesday, Nov. 28: Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m., YES, NBATV

New York Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m., MSG