There were times when the Knicks playing the Nets generated real excitement in the city. Knicks fans flooded Nets home arenas to cheer their team. Nets fans watched road games in bars because they couldn’t get tickets at the Garden.

So when the out-of-the-playoff-picture Knicks visit the really-out-of-the-playoff-picture Nets on Wednesday night at Barclays Center, look beyond the present-day plights of the teams. Think of the blood lines and the blood feuds.

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is a former Knicks assistant. Knicks president Phil Jackson is an ex-Nets player and assistant coach. Injured Net Jeremy Lin authored one of the great Knicks fables with Linsanity. The Nets once tried to acquire Carmelo Anthony as fervently as the Knicks now try to deal him. So forget records. Think back to more passionate times and moments. Here are 10 of them: