Sacramento Kings vs New York Knicks Recap, Highlights, Final Score, More

The New York Knicks made it difficult, but they sent the fans home happy Sunday night with a victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The New York Knicks were able to defeat the Sacramento Kings Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. They didn’t make it easy, as they took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but they were able to come away with the win.

The Knicks went up by as many as 21 points in the game, but the Kings battled back in the third quarter. They would go on an 18-0 run as the Knicks offense went cold. They would climb within one point on multiple occasions, but that is as close as they would get. The Knicks never relinquished the lead and were able to hold off the Kings.

It was a slow start for the Knicks as Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis struggled early. Derrick Rose picked up the slack with 10 points and three assists. He helped get the Knicks on track and begin building their lead.

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That helped the Knicks as they overcame a slow offensive night from Porzinigs. He shot only 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep for 15 points. But he had a major impact in the paint. He had a game-high 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. He protected the rim well and made things difficult for the Kings around the basket.

The Knicks once again received a good effort from their bench. Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez have combined to be a strong combination off the bench in the front court. They finished the game +12 combined with eight points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks.

Brandon Jennings also provided his normal energy and production off the bench. He and Sasha Vujacic provided a good boost after the slow start. Jennings poured in a season-high 19 points with three assists, while Vujacic scored five points with four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. They both finished with positive plus/minus ratios, as Jennings was +11 and Vujacic was +8.

Three Stars

PG Derrick Rose, Knicks — Rose was able to pick up the slack with his fellow starters getting off to a slow start. After the 10 point, three assists first quarter Rose continued to play well. He finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He also provided some solid defense as Darren Collison and Ty Lawson combined for only 13 points.

SG Justin Holiday, Knicks — Holiday didn’t have a great shooting night going only 2-for-7 and 1-for-4 from deep for five points. But, he was able to provide production in other ways to help the team out. He provided eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals to chip in across the board. His defense on the perimeter was strong as well. Former Knick Arron Afflalo was 1-for-4 and Matt Barnes was 1-for-11.

C DeMarcus Cousins, Kings — Cousins was a handful for the Knicks tonight. While he didn’t have a great shooting night, going 9-for-30, he was still a problem. He has stretched his range out to the three-point line, making 4-for-10 tonight. He also made a trail to the foul line, going 14-of-16. It all resulted in 36 points. He added 12 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocks.

Highlights

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Next Game

The Knicks will take their 11-9 record on the road to face off with the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The Kings will finish up their road trip with a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.