It was an enthralling match with the trappings of a high-stakes playoff game where the stranglehold of a basketball city so desperate to get back to NBA relevance hung in the balance.
It was the old power New York Knicks against the new order Brooklyn Nets in Atlantic Avenue.
In the end, a controversial call failed to give it a fitting finish as the Nets escaped with a 117-112 win on Monday night.
Kyrie Irving saved the Nets from a complete meltdown with a swipe to Julius Randle’s three-point attempt to send the game into overtime.