The New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 in a game with all the same characteristics as their win in Portland.
The New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 in a game with all the same characteristics as their win in Portland. The defense held their fifth straight opponent below 100 points, and Jalen Brunson looked like an MVP candidate as he picked up everyone else’s poor shooting.
To Sacramento’s credit, this game was competitive for most of the action. But with Brunson seeming to score at will, it always felt like New York had control. The only time Sacramento made a run in the second half was when an odd flagrant foul against Josh Hart rewarded it four quick points. But the momentum was fleeting, and New York was back in control in no time.
New York’s defense added another impressive feat to their belt. They held the Kings to their lowest season total on their home court. But the shooters will have to heat up as the competition out West will only get stronger.
Let’s have a closer look at New York’s success.
The Knicks’ starters get a superstar performance from Brunson
Jalen Brunson: 42 PTS (17/28 FG, 5/10 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TO in 36 mins
Jalen Brunson became the fourth New York Knick to score 40 points in consecutive games, joining Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony. He joined elite company with a magnificent performance, single-handedly picking up the team’s shooting percentages.
The Kings tried physicality, which has somewhat thrown Brunson off in the past. But New York’s MVP countered with step-back jumpers and counter moves like a beautiful spin that hit on two occasions. Brunson also passed the ball far better than his two assists suggest.
In addition to Brunson’s usual offensive brilliance, his defense was also on point. He played aggressive help defense, sneaking behind ball-handlers for steals. His two-way game was enough to earn a perfect score despite six turnovers. Brunson gets a 5 out of 5 for being the reason for this victory.
Donte DiVincenzo: 15 PTS (5/16 FG, 3/12 3PT, 2/3 FT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL in 30 mins
Donte DiVincenzo didn’t shoot great, but it feels like he got on the right track. That’s mainly because his scoring often felt timely. The Kings would close the gap with consecutive baskets, only for DiVincenzo to knock down a three or draw a whistle for free throws.
The timely buckets made up for an otherwise underwhelming night from the field. DiVo got plenty of good looks, but I lost count of the shots that rimmed out for him. Monica McNutt repeatedly mentioned the shots looking good during the broadcast (quick aside: Monica’s been great filling in for the incomparable Clyde Frazier).
The rest of DiVo’s production wasn’t bad but underwhelming. He never stuck out for anything good or bad. But his shot felt close to finding its former glory, which gives me hope that he’ll snap out of his cold streak soon. DiVincenzo gets a 2.5 out of 5 for hitting some important shots.
Josh Hart: 9 PTS (2/7 FG, 0/2 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 AST, 13 REB, 1 STL in 39 mins
Josh Hart continued to play excellent basketball despite poor field-goal percentages. His monstrous rebounding run continued, and he bolstered his impact with a non-stop transition attack. Even when Hart couldn’t take the ball upcourt himself, he sparked fast breaks with plays like an excellent outlet to Bojan Bogdanovic to close the first quarter.
Hart’s breakneck pace helped him get to the free-throw line and improve his scoring efficiency. His decisive action in half-court sets mimicked his transition success, catching the Kings off-balance with quick attacks. He’d be flirting with a perfect score if his jumper were falling.
Hart’s been an engine, even without scoring. His ability to impact plays from off-ball is unparalleled, and he’s helping Brunson by adding some easy points and creating extra possessions. Hart gets a 4 out of 5 for another great game.
OG Anunoby: 2 PTS (1/8 FG, 0/4 3PT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 2 TO in 33 mins
OG Anunoby almost didn’t play due to elbow maintenance. His poor shooting and general lack of offensive impact might be attributable to soreness. He started the night with a dunk but never scored again despite getting plenty of open looks.
The good news is that OG made up for poor offense with his typical defensive impact. If Anunoby’s defending off-ball, his side of the court might as well be Revis Island. His help, defense, and rotations shut down possessions almost by himself. This has happened since Anunoby’s arrival, but I still marvel at it.
I trust Anunoby’s offense to pick up, but the elbow continues to scare me. Since returning, he’s yelled out in pain once or twice a night. But he’s still proven crucial because the Knicks’ defense looks uncrackable while he’s playing. OG gets a 3 out of 5 despite his low scoring.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 7 PTS (3/3 FG, 1/1 FT), 3 AST, 14 REB, 1 STL, 5 BLK, 1 TO in 28 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein’s minutes crept up, and his impact is returning to pre-Achilles form. There aren’t many players who can absorb Domantas Sabonis’ strength and contain him one-on-one in the post. Hartenstein looked like an immovable object, forcing Sabonis to pass out and turn the ball over repeatedly.
Hartenstein has always produced quality defense, but this was his best rim protection in a long time. He denied dunks, stopped pull-ups from close, and took away paint opportunities. When shots went up, I-Hart cleared the glass. He applied similar rim pressure on offensive rebounds.
I-Hart’s typical offensive contributions hit, too. He finished his looks inside, set quality screens, and acted as an additional playmaker thanks to give-and-goes and DHO’s. Hartenstein gets a 4 out of 5 for holding down the Sabonis match-up.
Former Pistons lead the way for New York’s second unit
Miles McBride: 0 PTS (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 REB in 12 mins
Miles McBride had an atypically quiet night. With Burks and Bojan cooking, McBride’s offense took a backseat. Deuce still provided some defensive highlights, recovering through screens to front ball-handlers he had no business catching up to. But his limited minutes meant a limited impact, so I won’t give a performance score.
Alec Burks: 12 PTS (4/10 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB in 18 mins
I’ve mentioned Alec Burks flashing his scoring potential in recent games, and this felt like the first game that he settled into his shooting. I only counted two forced shots in his offensive display. Burks let the offense come to him, first knocking down a catch and shoot three, then proceeding to hit pull-up jumpers through the pick and roll.
There was an element of patience to Burks’ attack that we hadn’t seen in previous shot-happy performances. He took an extra dribble or two before settling on a jumper, or he made a pass and relocated to a better spot. Simple decisions helped Burks into the flow of offense better than any game since he arrived.
Burks hit some big shots in the fourth. He played a key role in answering the Kings’ last real push. This is much closer to the version of Burks I expected when New York acquired him. The prodigal Knick gets a 3 out of 5 for finally getting on track.
Bojan Bogdanovic: 9 PTS (4/12 FG, 1/5 3PT), 1 AST, 5 REB, 3 TO in 24 mins
Bojan Bogdanovic buoyed his performance with some important makes in the fourth quarter. He missed some long-distance jumpers he’d normally make but got busy on forays to the basket, including a few transition finishes.
I’ve called out Bogie for failing to impact the game in other ways in the past, which is why I’m enthusiastically pointing out his five rebounds. Bojan’s activity toward loose balls and help defense has seen an uptick recently. He’s working hard.
It wasn’t a great performance, but Bojan provided some needed offense and did enough to earn a 2.5 out of 5 on the night.
Precious Achiuwa: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 20 mins
Precious Achiuwa’s passing highlighted an otherwise quiet night. He repeatedly caught the ball in motion to the basket and made clever extra passes to get easy looks for teammates. The best part is how fast he made his reads and found those players.
While the rest of Achiuwa’s stat line is quiet, he remained a force on the glass and a defensive contributor. There’s nothing in particular to shout out, but he was good. Precious gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a solid night.
Tom Thibodeau’s defense feels like the 90’s
We typically point out that a coach reminds us of the 90s to call their systems dated. But when I say, “Tom Thibodeau reminds me of 90’s basketball,” I mean it as the highest compliment. The Knicks have held recent opponents to fewer points, but keeping the high-powered Kings offense to 91 points at home is arguably the defense’s most impressive performance.
A lot has clicked since OG returned. The team’s off-ball movement has kicked into another gear, and their defense is impenetrable for long stretches. Tom Thibodeau’s vision is clear.
Closing Thoughts
By winning the first two games of the four-game road trip, New York has ensured that this journey is a success. Now, we get greedy and hope the Knicks can beat either or both of the Warriors and Nuggets.
I’m truly curious to see how New York’s defensive run will look as it encounters two of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter ever, and Nikola Jokic is a walking triple-double. They couldn’t be more different in their threats, which makes the consecutive tests even more exciting to watch.
It’s nice to play with house money, though the Knicks could use these wins to push for higher placement in the standings. So, these games are important, even if New York’s earned some leeway.
The Warriors are first up, and Steph Curry’s gotten some recent rest. That’s a tough match-up at the second half of a road trip. We’ll see how New York performs and discuss it after. See you next time, Knicks fam!
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