The Knicks will be playing their second preseason exhibition after a tumultuous September that saw a jury find head coach Isiah Thomas guilty of sexual harassment. If that's not enough distraction, the Knickerbockers may be surprised when they trot out for warm-ups to a raucous yellow-and-blue crowd. It will be a rare moment in New York sports history when the home team will not have home-court advantage on its side.

"I'm rooting for Maccabi," said Jonathan Jager-Hyman, a financial analyst in Manhattan. "I've been a Knicks fan since 1984, since the day I was born, but I love [Maccabi]. The decision was easier, especially for a preseason game where it doesn't really matter."

According to a Knicks representative, only 815 tickets remained unsold, and that figure kept declining as the game drew closer. The other preseason home games still have thousands of unsold seats. MSG seats 19,763 people.