Nets-Knicks will be played despite Sandy's damages

• Brooklyn Nets' debut will be played despite Sandy's wrath
• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was uncertain it could be played but will attend
• The lowest subway platform near the arena had a stream of water flowing through its tracks Tuesday

After assessing damage and transportation issues in New York as the result of Hurricane Sandy, the NBA decided late Tuesday that Thursday's game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets at the new $1 billion Barclays Center will be played as scheduled.

The decision was made to play because players and referees will be in the New York region, and the NBA consulted with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office and the Nets, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

It is the season opener for both teams, and the first regular-season NBA game in Brooklyn. TNT will televise the historic game as pro sports officially returns to Brooklyn for the first time since 1957 when the Brooklyn Dodgers played in the borough.

However, New York City's subway and train operations have been suspended and the Metropolitan Transit Authority does not have a timetable for when the subway system will resume. "This is the worst damage we have ever seen to the MTA system," MTA chairman Joe Lhota said Tuesday, later adding the MTA will have a better idea and discuss openings midday Wednesday.

While the former New Jersey Nets canceled practice Tuesday, local residents picked up the pieces following a storm that left millions across the Eastern Seaboard without power. A choked public transit system, streets blocked by debris and scattered power outages are doing little to shake public confidence in a timely recovery.

"It's New York," says Eddy St. Louis, co-owner of Machavelle Sports Bar and Lounge, nestled across the street from the new arena. "The trains will be back on schedule, the buses will be running. Everything will fall back into place. We prepare for stuff like this."

The subway serves as the main mode of transportation to and from Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden. The stop feeding into the arena's mouth — the Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center Station — remained roped off with pink tape Tuesday with much of the system flooded.

The arena and its Nets merchandise store remained closed Tuesday, and a concert featuring Journey with Pat Benatar was canceled.

Bloomberg said Tuesday before the game was confirmed he didn't know if the game could go on, though he plans to attend if it does.

"I hope they play it," he said. "It's going to be tough to get there. One of the great things about the Barclays Center is the subway running under it, but there's not a lot running right now.

"I think it's going to be a great arena. It's a great thing for Brooklyn."

Though the arena and much of its surrounding neighborhood never lost juice, many local businesses remained shuttered with employees unable to make the commute. The city resumed partial bus services Wednesday, and reopened each of its major bridges, yet the subway remained closed along with airports and other railways.

The lowest subway platform near the arena had a stream of water flowing through its tracks Tuesday night, but the area was not hit as hard as other areas in the city.

Locals and tourists seemed confident the show would go on. Vancouver vacationers Sean Byrne and Manny Jagpal flew in for the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets game in New Jersey and planned to buy scalped tickets to the Knicks-Nets game. They walked from Times Square to Brooklyn to survey the damage and appreciate the rust-colored Barclays Center, which still planned to host a Smashing Pumpkins concert Wednesday as late as Tuesday evening.

"It's severe, obviously," Byrne said. "But it's kind of cool just to be a part of something that's going to go down in history as one of the craziest events in New York City."

Across the street, sandbags lined the doors of a closed Victoria's Secret store. Neighboring Modell's Sporting Goods was open for business, though the illuminated letter S in "Sporting" above the entrance swung from a cord, ripped out of place by Sandy.

"As soon as I came in this afternoon, people were actually buying Brooklyn Nets merchandise," said store manager Nick Chang. "I figured they'd be buying boots and regular merchandise to keep them dry, but people are still excited and grabbing Nets gear."

Robert Klemko reported from New York, Jeff Zillgitt from Miami.