Knicks Suffer Defeat Against Kings
In a disappointing performance on Wednesday night, the New York Knicks suffered a 112-101 defeat against the Sacramento Kings. This game marked one of the toughest shooting nights of the season for the Knicks, who struggled significantly from the perimeter.
Game Overview
The match began poorly for New York, with the team quickly falling behind at 16-8. Things took a turn for the worse when Jalen Brunson exited the game due to a right ankle injury sustained midway through the first quarter. Brunson, attempting to navigate around Kings player Maxime Raynaud, slipped and was unable to continue, leaving the court with 7:01 remaining in the first.
“His absence was felt as the Knicks ended the quarter trailing 32-17, having gone 0-for-9 on three-point attempts and shooting just 35% overall, compared to an impressive 63% for Sacramento.”
Notably, the Kings had three players—Precious Achiuwa, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine—who each contributed 10 points during this stretch, while Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with seven points.
Struggles Continue
The Knicks’ three-point shooting woes continued, as they missed their first 12 attempts before Josh Hart finally connected, bringing the score to 41-24 early in the second quarter. Despite their struggles, New York managed to rally somewhat, outscoring the Kings 25-24 in the second quarter, thanks in part to Mitchell Robinson‘s dominance on the offensive boards, where he secured six rebounds in the half.
However, they went into halftime with a daunting 56-42 deficit, having recorded their lowest first-half score of the season with just one three-pointer made out of 19 attempts and a 34% shooting rate from the field.
Second Half Performance
The Kings opened the third quarter strong, scoring seven points uncontested before Mikal Bridges hit the Knicks’ second three-pointer of the night, reducing the gap to 63-46. Sacramento continued to widen their lead at the foul line while New York struggled to find their rhythm. The Knicks made up some ground later in the quarter, hitting four three-pointers to finish with an improved shooting rate of 17% from deep as they closed the third trailing 96-76.
Achiuwa was having a particularly impactful game, having already scored a season-high 20 points.
Final Quarter
In the fourth quarter, Jordan Clarkson briefly ignited the Knicks’ offense with six consecutive points, and Bridges hit his second three-pointer to cut the deficit to 15. However, with just over two minutes remaining and the team down 108-94, Kings coach Mike Brown substituted in his bench players. New York managed to bring the score down to a nine-point difference thanks to a three-pointer by Tyler Kolek and a layup from Guerschon Yabusele, but Russell Westbrook‘s late three-pointer sealed the game for Sacramento amid cheers for “light the beam” from their fans.
Game Statistics
Overall, the Knicks finished the night shooting 39% from the field and a dismal 20% from three-point range, missing 33 attempts at long-range shooting (8-for-41). Towns had a quiet second half after scoring 13 in the first, as Bridges stepped up to lead the Knicks with 19 points. Supporting scorers included OG Anunoby with 15 points, Clarkson with 11, and both Hart and McBride contributing 10 points each.
On the other side, the Kings capitalized at the free-throw line, making 32 of 38 attempts and shooting 47% from the field. DeRozan led Sacramento with 27 points while LaVine added 25.
Looking Ahead
One noteworthy player from the night was Precious Achiuwa, who shined against his former team with a remarkable performance of 20 points, 14 rebounds—including six offensive boards—along with two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Looking ahead, the Knicks will have a challenging matchup against the Golden State Warriors and superstar Stephen Curry on Thursday night at 10:00 p.m. ET, hoping to bounce back from this defeat.
