What to Watch for in the Battle of the Boroughs III

Joe Johnson has begun to emerge as the star the Brooklyn Nets need him to be. (John Minchillo)

Basketball in the Big Apple has a new rivalry on its hands with the Nets move to Brooklyn. The first installment saw new boys on the block win in overtime. The Knicks took the second behind Carmelo Anthony's 45-point effort. Round Three tips off in less than 30 minutes. If you love basketball, then turn your television on to ESPN. I've got five storylines for you to watch as the game unfolds in Madison Square Garden.

1. Carmelo Anthony is a game-time decision for tonight's game. Anthony has missed the past two games because of continued pain in his sprained left ankle. The Knicks star is taking a cautious approach with his ankle and made it sound as though he's leaning toward sitting out against the Nets. "Of course I want to play," he said Tuesday. "But if I'm not able to go out there and be the player I can be and help my team, then I'm not going to step foot on the court." Reports say that Anthony did run lightly on Tuesday and said afterward that his ankle is still sore and "badly bruised."

2. The matchup of centers Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler will play a decisive role in the outcome of the game. Lopez has been the leading scorer for Brooklyn, averaging almost 18 a game. Chandler is averaging almost 13 points a game and is the focal point of the Knicks' defense. The Nets will try to get Lopez involved as much as possible and try to get Chandler into foul trouble. If they are able to, they'll have a significant edge against the Knicks' less-talented big men coming off the bench. Chandler will have to play smart and not let his emotions get the better of him.

3. Jason Kidd is the x-factor for the Knicks. Kidd was the hero of the Knicks' last game against the Nets and has been the team's leader all season. Despite being 39 years old, he has played a crucial role in the Knick's surprising start. Through 20 games, Kidd is averaging 8.7 points and 1.8 steals per contest, while shooting an amazing 47 percent from three-point range. Apart from sinking the game-winning shot in the Knicks' last win over the Nets, he also had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists in that game.

4. Joe Johnson is starting to find his role with the Nets. Johnson struggled early in the season to find his place with his new team, but he is starting to find his groove as of late. Over his past five games, he has averaged 20.8 points on 49.4% shooting from the field. Johnson also sunk his first game-winner as a member of the Nets in a double-overtime win over the Detroit Pistons last Friday night before a home crowd at the Barclays Center. The team is starting to believe in him as well. "We were going to give him the ball and ride his back,” said head coach Avery Johnson.

5. The Knicks' ability to make three-pointers could decide the outcome of the game. The Knicks live and die on the three. According to ESPN, "New York's 11.9 made 3-pointers per game and 29.5 attempts are the most by any team since the 3-point line was instituted in 1979-80." Even though it seems unlikely that they will keep that up the remainder of the season, it certainly has a significant impact on this game. Interestingly enough though, the Nets have been very good at defending the three. According to ESPN, "Brooklyn has allowed opponents to hit just 5.7 of their 3-pointers per game, the third-fewest in the NBA." The Nets will need to be just as good if they hope to slow done the Knicks' production from deep.