New York is in dire need of a dub. Can they find one tonight in Sacramento?
Things are going south in the west for the Knicks.
New York’s Western conference road trip continued to move in the wrong direction on Friday night, as the team dropped their third in a row up against the Clippers.
Without Jalen Bruson, sidelined for the next two weeks with an ankle injury, the offense looked flat. The team shot just 38% from the field and only 27% from distance. The Knicks were only down one headed into the final frame, but proceeded to get outscored 26-17 across the last twelve minutes of the game. They never made a real push down the stretch.
Brunson’s absence was felt, and per Ian Begley, he’ll be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks.
After some bad losses, untimely injuries, and subpar performances, the Knicks are seemingly in freefall. They sought help in the form of veteran PJ Tucker, picking him up on a 10-day contract to try and get the locker room in order.
Tucker, who has been in the league since 2006-07, has played for seven (now eight) franchises, started 90 playoff games, and won a ring with the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. He knows what winners look like in the NBA. I’m a fan of the signing.
The team is clearly searching for answers headed into tonight’s game, as their California tour makes a stop in Sacramento against the Kings.
Sacramento is 33-30, and are 8-6 since shipping away DeAaron Fox in favor of Zach LaVine. They’re fighting for positioning in the Western conference standings, and seem to be headed towards the play-in. But there’s a lot of season left.
They’ll take on the Knicks tonight on the second leg of a back-to-back, after having their hearts broken at the overtime buzzer last night by Kawhi Leonard.
Four Kings players (LaVine, DeRozan, Murray, Valanciunas) played at least 42 minutes last night, and Jae Crowder, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis all show up as questionable on the injury report. The team should be gassed.
This spells good news for the Knicks, who are only down Jalen Brunson and Ariel Hukporti. We spoke about Brunson before, and Hukporti remains sidelined with a torn meniscus in his knee.
Mitchell Robinson, who missed last night’s game, is good to go for tonight.
Prediction
New York could really use a strong showing tonight. I’ll pinpoint Deuce McBride as an X-factor, and I think he delivers in a big way. After a poor showing on Friday, I’d look to him to knock down four or five triples tonight to spark the offense early.
Josh Hart will be playing his tail off. So will KAT. Hopefully we see an inspired Mikal Bridges, too.
I think the road is paved for the Knicks to get a much-needed win tonight, and they get some key stops down the stretch. The Knicks come into tonight’s game well-rested; the Kings do not. That could make all the difference in a close game.
Knicks win by single digits.
Another late tip tonight! Don’t forget to set two alarms for work in the morning. You might thank me.
Game Details
Date: Monday, March 10th, 2025
Time: 10:30 PM ET
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV Broadcast: NBA TV, MSG
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