The Knicks and Pistons will play in London on January 17.

It's official! That strange mid-January lull in the Knicks' schedule isn't just prolonged naptime. New York's got a January 17 game against the Pistons sandwiched between three-day breaks because, as was guessed back when the schedule came out, they'll be traveling. From ESPN UK:

NBA action will return to British shores on January 17, when the New York Knicks take on the Detroit Pistons at the O2 Arena in London.

The NBA announced the fixture on Thursday, looking to capitalise on the popularity of basketball at the summer's Olympic Games.

London, as you may know, is a city in the Eastern Hemisphere famous only for being the birthplace of Jack London until Carmelo Anthony put it on the map by hitting ten three-pointers there in August.

...but yeah, this field trip had been planned for a while, but the lockout prevented it from taking place last season. It should be a fun and unifying experience for the team, and perhaps an opportunity for some European P&T citizens to see the Knicks in person (warning: they're quite tall!). Looking forward to it.