You know the New York Knicks are back when they have a significant share of the nationally televised games.
From just three games on national TV two seasons ago, the have made the biggest jump of any NBA team gaining 22 nationally televised games next season excluding seven on NBA TV. They had six in the previous pandemic-condensed season.
The Knicks will have 22 nationally televised games & 7 on NBA TV:
ESPN 12
TNT 7
NBA TV 7
ABC 3 https://t.co/WSSDtIFYEW— alder almo (@alderalmo) August 20, 2021
The Knicks have reloaded this summer with four-time All-Star Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier joining their Julius Randle-led core that finished fourth seed in the East and made the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Leon Rose’s regime has pushed all the right buttons since taking over from Steve Mills last year.
The Knicks will open their season with Walker’s revenge game against his former team, Boston Celtics, at the Garden on Oct. 20 in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Their national TV schedule will be followed by two intriguing matchups against Eastern Conference’s powerhouse Philadelphia 76ers (Oct. 26 on TNT) and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks (Nov. 5 on ESPN).
The first salvo of the gripping Battle of New York will be nationally televised on TNT with the Knicks visiting the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 30 after LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Garden earlier that week (Nov. 23 on TNT).
The Golden State Warriors’ Splash Brothers — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — visit at the Garden will also be nationally televised on TNT on Dec. 14. The much-anticipated Knicks-Atlanta Hawks showdown on Christmas is on ESPN.
Overall, the Knicks will have 12 marquee games on ESPN, seven on TNT, and three games on ABC.
The Lakers continue to lead the league with 30 national TV games, followed by the Warriors’ 29, Nets’ 26, Bucks’ 24, and Phoenix Suns’ 23. The Knicks and the Celtics are tied with 22 games each.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo