Sports

This is just the beginning of what looks like a classic Knicks rivalry

There are never any guarantees, no. But it sure feels like we’ll see these teams together in a few Aprils — and maybe Mays — to come.

Sometimes, you can just see these things coming, even before you should. You can already see Knicks/Pistons coming. In the short term, yes, with the Knicks taking their first crack at closing Detroit out of this year’s playoffs Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, and if necessary Thursday, and if necessary Saturday.

But also in the long term. This one feels built for speed, and built to last. Rivalries are a funny thing.

Even the very best ones had to begin somewhere. The very first Army-Navy game was Nov. 29, 1890.

Navy won 24-0. Not a lot of rivalry-ness attached to that one, but it sure did develop into one — probably the greatest one — over time. They’ve now played 125 times.

Navy leads 63-55-7. Red Sox-Yankees was fairly dormant the first 17 years the two teams shared the American League; it was only after Babe Ruth was transferred to New York from Boston that things started to get really interesting..