Game Preview: New York Knicks vs Sacramento Kings, April 4, 2024

All season long, it’s seemed like the Knicks have played their best when their backs are up against the wall. In November, they had a big win against Los Angeles in James Harden’s Clippers debut, which came after they started the season just 2-4. In December, just two days after losing to the Bucks by 19, they beat them on national television on Christmas Day to start changing the “they can’t beat good teams” narrative. They also took home a much-needed win in January against a very good Timberwolves team in OG Anunoby’s Knicks debut to end a three-game losing streak that had fans starting to get increasingly concerned and frustrated.

After a four-game losing streak in February, they used a big game from Bojan Bogdanovic to beat a Sixers team with whom they were in a seeding battle. In March, we witnessed the team put together one of the most inspiring efforts in recent memory to secure a victory on the road after Jalen Brunson went down with what at the time seemed like a season-ending injury.

Tonight, against a good 44-31 Sacramento Kings team that has the same record as the Knicks, they’ll need to dig deep again to end what has been a brutal three-game losing streak during which they’ve managed to lose in different ways to different types of teams. Last Friday, they played a bad Spurs team that they could’ve and should’ve beaten but they played down to competition to begin the game and wasted Brunson’s career-high 61 points in an overtime thriller that was highlighted by offense and individual performances.

Then they faced off against one of the best teams in the league the Thunder, and more than held their own by slowing the game down and making it a defensive game only to succumb to the late-game heroics of Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey….again. And then two nights ago, they played a Heat team that sits comfortably between the Spurs and Thunder in the standings, came out of the gates incredibly flat, and lost to them despite making a late comeback attempt.

On the other hand, Sacramento, who New York beat on their most recent west coast road trip, has been solid as of late. They are just 6-4 in their last 10 games with one of those losses coming at the hands of a Wizards team that has consistently been among the worst teams in the entire league this season but they’ve looked good in most of their games outside of that one.

Yet it should give fans some hope that despite the frustrating last week of basketball, the Knicks were a few shots and calls away from potentially being 4-1 or even 5-0 in their last five games and rank first in points per game, second in three-point makes per game, ninth in assists per game, seventh in steals per game, second in offensive rating, and 14th in defensive rating during that span…… But then you remember that the two games they did win in their last five, were blowouts against the lowly Pistons and Raptors who were both incredibly shorthanded.

If you dare to look at their stats during their losing streak (I urge you not to), it’s not great. They’re just 21st in defensive rating, 15th in offensive rating, 18th in net rating, 29th in bench scoring, 14th in scoring, and 22nd in assists. Those ratings compare to the two aforementioned awful teams they managed to beat lately.

Meanwhile, in their last three games, the Kings have been much better. During that span they are fifth in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating, seventh in net rating, 11th in points per game, sixth in three-pointers made per game, fifth in rebounds per game, ninth in assists per game, and ninth in steals per game.

Prediction

The stats, the eye tests, the vibes. All of it would lead you to predict that the losing streak will continue tonight. And it very well might. The Knicks have very visibly struggled recently and the same cannot be said about the Kings. But I’ve learned to never count this team out. Because at almost every turn, the moment I doubt this team and its players, they rise to the occasion and come through in an almost heroic fashion. Again, it’s not the smart choice, but for me, it’s an obvious one. New York comes away with another gutsy, season-defining, inspiring, unexpected win to right the ship and end the losing streak. Speak it to existence baby. 115-110 Knicks with Brunson, who scored 42 points in these two teams’ last meeting, leading the way again.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (44-31) vs Sacramento Kings (44-31)

When: 7:30 pm EST, Thursday, April 4, 2024

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Watch: MSG/TNT

Follow: @ptknicksblog