<p>New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons players arrived in Britain on Tuesday (January 15), ready for their NBA league game in London on Thursday (January 17).<br /><br />The teams will play at the O2 Arena which also hosted knock-out basketball games for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.<br /><br />Thursday's game is a regular league match, the 16th such game to be played in a foreign market, and is designed to attract fans and spread coverage of NBA events outside its usual fan base.<br /><br />According to organizers, the game sold out in just four days.<br /><br />Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank said the team is going to use their practice time to plan how to beat the Knicks.<br /><br />"We're still in the making of figuring out how to stop them. I mean Carmelo is a great scorer. He's a guy who can put together a 40 point game like it's nothing," Frank said. "He's a professional scorer, that what we call him in the States, he can score in a bunch of ways: he can shoot to three, he can score off the dribble, he can score in the post, he can score against double teams but they are more than Carmelo Anthony - they are a true team. They are a defensively-oriented team and then they have a bunch of offensive weapons."<br /><br />The Knicks lead the Atlantic division of the Eastern Conference with 24 wins. The Pistons are fourth in the Central division of the same conference.<br /><br />Frank said that, despite appearing to be an international game, Thursday's game is classed as a home game for the Pistons. Both teams will be able to use the travelling time and extra rest days as a time to bond during the mid-season.</p>
