Brunson, Hart help New York Knicks overcome 21-point deficit in win over Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings went cold following a hot start in Thursday’s game against the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks overcame a 21-point deficit to win a 120-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. The Kings had taken a 15-point lead in the first 12 minutes, but the Knicks struggled against Sacramento's improved defense. All-NBA candidate Jalen Brunson and All-Hustle candidate Josh Hart scored 34 and 31 points respectively for the Knicks, while De'Aaron Fox scored 29 points and made six 3-pointers for the Kings. Domantas Sabonis also posted 17 points and 11 rebounds, extending his double-double streak to 59 games. The game marked the ninth consecutive game for the New York team. Both teams were dealing with injuries to key rotation players, including Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.
gepubliceerd : 4 weken geleden door Chris Biderman in Sports
The Sacramento Kings’ first-quarter flurry didn’t last long in the world’s most famous arena.
The Kings jumped out to a 15-point lead after the first 12 minutes on the strength of hot shooting from 3-point range while the New York Knicks struggled against Sacramento’s improved defense.
But the Kings couldn’t contain the Knicks from the second quarter on as New York rallied from a 21-point deficit to win 120-109 after outscoring Sacramento 100-74 over the last three quarters.
Sacramento’s defense, which ranked fifth in the NBA over its previous 15 games, couldn’t slow All-NBA candidate Jalen Brunson and All-Hustle candidate Josh Hart, who scored 34 and 31 points, respectively, in front of the many A- and B-list celebrities sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden. Hart added 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Knicks (45-31).
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points while making six 3-pointers for the Kings (44-32). Domantas Sabonis posted 17 points and 11 rebounds to extend his double-double streak to 59 games, the longest single-season streak since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. Keegan Murray added 18 points in the first game of a critical four-game road trip.
The Kings and Knicks came into Thursday’s game with identical 44-31 records. But the two teams are having very different seasons with New York holding the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference while Sacramento is eighth in the West, facing an uphill climb to secure a guaranteed playoff spot rather than a play-in tournament appearance.
Both sides have also been dealing with injuries to key rotation players. The Kings just lost Malik Monk to a sprained MCL in his right knee, though he expressed optimism about his rehab to The Bee before Thursday’s tip off, which came a week after Kevin Huerter was lost for the season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
The Knicks were without Julius Randle, who the team announced Thursday would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Randle has been out since dislocating his shoulder Jan. 27. New York was also missing defensive standout OG Anunoby because of an elbow injury that required surgery in early February.
Anunoby, of course, was acquired before the trade deadline from the Toronto Raptors after being linked to the Kings. He suffered with a setback after playing in three games in March while Thursday marked the ninth straight game he has missed.
Anunoby’s last game came in Sacramento when the Kings and Knicks played March 16. New York won in a defensive slugfest, 98-91, thanks to Brunson’s 42 points.
The Kings on Thursday opened making 7 of 10 from 3-point range in the first quarter with Fox and Keon Ellis combining to make all five of their attempts. Sacramento led by as many 21 in the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back to make it 60-52 at halftime behind 18 and 12 points from Brunson and Hart, respectively. New York finished the first half on a 27-14 run.
Fox had 16 points in the first half thanks to four made 3s while Ellis and Davion Mitchell both had 11. Mitchell made his first five field-goal attempts.
Former King Donte DiVincenzo hit a pair of 3s midway through the third quarter that cut Sacramento’s lead to six and led to Sacramento calling a timeout. He would later tie the game at 84 with a 3 over Sasha Vezenkov and was fouled by Fox shooting a 3 on the next possession. He made all three free throws.
Fox tied the game at 87 with a whirling, stepback 3-pointer with 10.8 seconds left in the third, but the Kings were outscored 33-22 in the fourth.
The Kings’ road trip continues Friday with a game against the Boston Celtics, owners of the NBA’s best record, before returning to New York to play the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. They will wrap up their road trip Tuesday when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Onderwerpen: Basketball, NBA, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings