New York Knicks: Five games to look forward to in 2017-18

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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 07: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks fight for position at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The Final Encounters?

Game 1
Date: Sunday, January 7
Opponent: Dallas Mavericks
Venue: American Airlines Center

The 2017-18 NBA regular season may mark the final time that fans will see Dirk Nowitzki and Kristaps Porzingis play against one another. Nowitzki is 39 years of age and entering his 20th season in the Association, and appeared in just 54 games in 2016-17.

There’s no guaranteeing that fans will see Nowitzki and Porzingis square off in 2017-18, but there will be two opportunities for that to transpire.

Game 2
Date: Sunday, March 13
Opponent: Dallas Mavericks
Venue: Madison Square Garden

Porzingis will lead the Knicks into Dallas on Sunday, January 7, and Nowitzki will lead the Mavericks into New York on Sunday, March 13. Both games will provide what could be the final look at the friendly rivalry between Nowitzki and Porzingis.

Based on what we’ve seen already, this could be a clash for the ages between the man who paved the way and the individual who’s following in his footsteps.

All eyes will deservedly be on Nowitzki and Porzingis, but it’s also worth noting that these games will pit Frank Ntilikina against Dennis Smith Jr. Many believe that Smith should have been selected over Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft, and this clash will certainly generate buzz about that topic.

The intrigue has layers, which makes these the top candidates to be the most entertaining games of the season.

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The New York Knicks may or may not make the playoffs, but this season will still have stories worth monitoring—from start to finish.

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