The Knicks opened their five-game homestand on a positive note, crushing the Sacramento Kings, 143-120, on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Here are the takeaways…
— New York provided an encouraging injury update before tip-off, listing starter Josh Hart (right knee soreness) as active. The veteran guard entered Saturday listed as questionable, and also recently dealt with neck/cervical compression.
— While the first quarter opened with both teams exchanging buckets, the Knicks caught fire midway through, orchestrating a fast-paced 14-4 run that forced the Kings to call timeout at the 4:15 mark. The break in action didn’t cool the Knicks off, either — they proceeded to score 12 more points and held a commanding 38-25 lead after 12 minutes.
— For a third straight game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau extended his first-quarter rotation to nine players, and this time it was Landry Shamet who provided a spark off the bench. He scored nine points on three-made threes, while six Knicks contributed at least one field goal. Shamet hadn’t scored nine points in a game all season.
— The Knicks kept their foot on the gas early in the second quarter, and OG Anunoby was undoubtedly the catalyst. The veteran winger drilled seven buckets for a whopping 20 points, which tied his season-high for a half. He entered Saturday averaging 16.0 points per game.
— While the Knicks increased their lead to 19 midway through the second, appearing in cruise control, the Kings proved resilient. In a four-minute span, they strung together a 23-6 run and stunningly cut their deficit down to two. The Knicks simply couldn’t contain Malik Monk, who caused fits by racking up 23 first-half points. At the half, New York led 72-67.
— Sacramento took advantage of lackadaisical defense from New York in the second quarter, and it took only three minutes of third-quarter action for Thibodeau to begrudgingly call timeout due to poor effort in transition. Some frustration also got the better of Hart, who received his seventh technical foul this season.
— In spite of the momentum shift and defensive miscues, the Knicks didn’t relinquish the lead. They kept pace with the Kings, bumping their lead back to double-digits on a buzzer-beating layup by Mikal Bridges. The highlight play wouldn’t have been possible without Hart, who logged the assist to clinch his sixth triple-double of the season.
— Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the officials noticed that the Knicks’ basket wasn’t 10 feet high or centered, and the issue forced a 10-minute delay. The hoop appeared to be off-kilter following a two-handed dunk from Anunoby.
— The unexpected break didn’t disrupt the Knicks’ rhythm, though — they lifted their lead back to a comfortable 18 points at the 8:19 mark and didn’t relent. New York embraced the sharing-is-caring mindset, finishing the game with a whopping 40 assists. They improved to 17-1 this season with 30-plus dimes in a game.
— While the Knicks’ pair of All-Stars were valuable, they also weren’t the showrunners. Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t see much second-half action, but he finished with a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds in just 28 minutes. Jalen Brunson was more efficient, as he posted 25 points and 11 assists.
— Four of the Knicks’ starters scored 20-plus, and Anunoby (33) and Bridges (27) combined for 60. Hart and Brunson also became the first Knicks tandem to post 10-plus assists in the same game since 2002.
— New York shot 49.5 percent overall from the floor (52 of 105) and made 17 threes on 36 attempts. They also led by as many as 24 points and out-rebounded the Kings, 53-38. The Kings’ leading scorer was Monk (31), though he only contributed eight points in the second half. Domantis Sabonis also produced a quiet triple-double of 25 points, 13 boards, and 12 assists.
Game MVP: Josh Hart
Hart didn’t seem at all bothered by his apparent knee soreness. He was both physical and efficient, finishing the game with a respectable 20 points, a monstrous 18 rebounds, and a laudable 11 assists.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks (30-16) will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Monday night, in a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 tip-off).
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