The New York Knicks sought their fourth straight victory in the second tilt of their road trip out west.
After stunning Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, the New York Knicks sought their fourth straight win Friday against the Sacramento Kings.
Everything went right for the Knicks against the Warriors. RJ Barrett continued his hot streak. Mitchell Robinson shook off early foul trouble to explode in the second half. Julius Randle flirted with a triple-double again.
Surely, the last-place Kings would roll over and extend their own losing streak to five? Would De’Aaron Fox and company be no match for Tom Thibodeau’s New York Knicks?
You know it’s gif o’clock, folks. Crank up Robert Randolph and let’s get to the action!
1st quarter: Randle-in’ Man
Don’t hate me because The Allman Brothers are awesome.
Rather, bask in the glory of Julius Randle, who continued his career season with a dominant first quarter in Sacramento. The former Kentucky star had 12 points as his New York Knicks answered a Kings 13-2 run with a 13-2 run of their own.
New York led 26-25 after one quarter, with Randle helping overcome the team’s slow start.
Halftime report: It’s gonna get ugly
The New York Knicks led 54-49 at halftime, but the game was far closer than it should have been. Neither team did a particularly good job finishing in this quarter. By the buzzer, the Kings were shooting a mere 40.4% from the field compared to the Knicks’ 39.6%, and yet they were still losing.
And how did this happen? Simple. The Kings’ run-and-gun offense ran into the Knicks’ top-ranked defense. But with New York’s inconsistent shooting keeping things tight, the start of the second half became all the more important.
3rd quarter: Shockingly sluggish
This was the last thing the New York Knicks wanted in the second half. For some reason or another, the team just couldn’t get it going against the Kings’ league-worst defense.
That’s right, folks. The Knicks were outscored 27-18 in the third quarter and made the sloths from Zootopia look like Usain Bolt. New York shot a pathetic 16.7% from long range and a paltry 38.7% from the floor, with no rhythm to be found anywhere.
Without a renewed pep in their step, the fourth quarter proved the deciding factor with New York down 76-72.
4th quarter: A failed siege
Whatever magic the Knicks had against the Warriors on Thursday just wasn’t there this evening. Julius Randle tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, but a combination of dumb fouls and sloppy turnovers cost New York badly.
In fact, sloppy is the perfect way to describe the New York Knicks’ effort. 38.3% from the field. 22.7% from 3. Sacramento was allowed 13 blocked shots thanks to the Knicks’ shoddy performance. Moreover, the Kings have the worst defense in the league and allow 123 points per game.
Tonight, the New York Knicks lost to that team 103-94.
That’s not just sloppy. That’s just plain sad.
Player of the game: Julius Randle
Even on a bad night, Knicks fans can always rely on Julius Randle. His dream season continued with 26 points and 15 rebounds.
