Today at 3:00 p.m. ET from London, England the New York Knicks (5-35) will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (20-19) in the first overseas game of the 2014-15 season. Watch the game on NBA TV or live stream it by clicking this link. Knicks fans can still catch the radio broadcast on 98.7 ESPN New York, while Bucks fans may listen to the action on 620 WTMJ.
What looked like an intriguing matchup in the preseason pitting a former scoring champion (Carmelo Anthony) against a hotshot rookie, Jabari Parker, whose game seems to mimic Anthony's, in front of an overseas audience is instead a ho-hum matchup between middling Eastern Conference teams.
The Knicks are the prime culprits for this; they are the worst team in the NBA currently, and are riding a15-game losing streak. New leading man Phil Jackson has publicly owned up to the team's massive shortcomings this season, and subsequent selling off of veteran talent.
"In anticipating that we were going to be better, that we were giving hope to our fans that maybe there was a possible playoff opportunity here, that goes on me," president of basketball operations Phil Jackson said.
Even though the Knicks are a laughingstock right now, the Bucks aren't treating the game lightly. "We're one game over .500," forward Jared Dudley said. "And even though (New York) is struggling, we're trying to get into the playoffs. This is a big game for us."
The foreign setting may serve to invigorate the Knicks from their doldrums, as it is an opportunity to represent the Association abroad.
"For the NBA as a whole and for our team and our organization, it's a promotional type of game," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. "Guys will get a chance to see some of London and some of England in their spare time ... but it's still a work trip.
"We obviously want to try and win the game on Thursday, so there's obviously a balance to it."
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