The New York Knicks suffered a humbling 112-101 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, struggling through one of their worst shooting nights of the season. The loss compounded New York's lack of road success, dropping its record away from Madison Square Garden to 8-11.
The game unraveled early. The Knicks fell behind 16-8 before point guard Jalen Brunson, who has battled recurring issues with his right ankle, left the contest with 7:01 remaining in the first quarter after turning it while trying to cross Maxime Raynaud. Brunson attempted to continue but was unable to return, finishing with just four points in five minutes, the lowest scoring outing of nearly two years. Without their star guard, New York’s offense sputtered, shooting 8-for-41 (20%) from three-point range and 39% overall.
Karl-Anthony Towns attempted to shoulder the scoring load but finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting, all in the first half. Miles McBride, stepping in at point guard, was inefficient as well, scoring four points on 4-of-14 shots. The Knicks' offense never recovered, managing only 42 first-half points, tied for their lowest opening 24 minutes this season.
New York guard Josh Hart, who contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 32 minutes, described the performance as “embarrassing” and assumed responsibility for the team’s lack of intensity. “It starts with me,” Hart said, referencing a wide-open layup he allowed on the opening possession. Hart stressed that the team’s defensive lapses, rather than poor shooting, were the bigger issue in the loss.
Sacramento built an early separation and never relinquished control. Former Knick Precious Achiuwa poured in a season-high 20 points with 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards, in 38 minutes. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, moving past Kevin Garnett into 22nd on the NBA's all-time scoring list, while Zach LaVine added 25 points. Veteran Russell Westbrook added 19 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds, guiding the Kings to their third consecutive victory.
New York's limited success came from Mitchell Robinson, who recorded eight points and 11 rebounds (seven offensive) in 19 minutes, and Mikal Bridges, who led the starters with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting. OG Anunoby chipped in 15 points but missed all six three-point attempts. The Knicks made a late run behind their reserves, with Jordan Clarkson scoring 11 points, and Tyler Kolek and Guerschon Yabusele combined for a few late baskets, but the deficit remained too large to overcome.
A cold night shooting the ball made things worse for New York. They missed 33 three-point attempts, going 8-for-41, and were outrebounded 48-43 by Sacramento. The Kings shot 47% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line, exploiting the Knicks defensive shortcomings and lack of cohesion without Brunson.
New York will now turn its focus to a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in the Bay Area, hoping to bounce back from an “embarrassing” performance.
