Black Friday at Madison Square Garden will not be a sleepy schedule spot. The Knicks host the Miami Heat on Nov. 27 in NBA Cup group play, and the league has put a serious opponent in front of New York.
Miami now has Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, which changes the temperature of any matchup. The Knicks will have plenty of big regular-season games, but this one has the kind of setup that can make November feel important in a hurry.
The NBA Cup has given the league a way to add some edge to the early part of the schedule. For the Knicks, getting Miami at the Garden gives the fans a game with a little more bite than a typical post-Thanksgiving date.
Knicks get a Garden game with some real heat
New York will be home, and that matters. The Garden should be ready for a heavyweight opponent, especially when the game counts in the NBA Cup group stage.
The attention will naturally fall on Antetokounmpo, but the Knicks cannot make this only about one star. Miami will test the ball movement, physicality and patience that New York needs to carry through a long season.
Josh Hart reacts after a made three against Miami. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
A November game worth circling
I am not pretending an NBA Cup game decides a championship. It does give the Knicks a chance to play a meaningful home game against a loaded East opponent before the calendar flips to December.
The schedule has plenty of ordinary nights. Black Friday against Miami should not be one of them.
The Garden will have its own energy after Thanksgiving. The Knicks have a chance to use it against a team that can push them in every part of the game.
