Cold-shooting Knicks fall to Kings

So how can the Knicks, who play so well against the best teams, get swamped at home by the Kings, who are one of the worst? To quote Amar'e Stoudemire on David Letterman's show Thursday, "Is that a trick question?"

Actually, no. It was simple. On Friday night, the Knicks didn't make enough shots, didn't avoid enough blocked shots, didn't grab enough rebounds and generally didn't rise to the challenge of one of the least challenging teams in the NBA - and lost, 93-83.

They also lost center Ronny Turiaf, who left early in the third quarter with a sore hip and never returned. Still, the Knicks seemed to have enough to beat visiting Sacramento, a team that entered 8-28 overall and 2-13 on the road. And the Knicks did have Stoudemire, a featured late-night guest this week and recipient of "MVP" chants. He had 25 points but shot 6-for-22 and often was stifled by Samuel Dalembert, who had six blocks.

The Knicks drew boos at the Garden for failing to make even a third of their field-goal attempts (31.5 percent from the floor, a season low) and for making Kings guard Beno Udrih look like Carmelo Anthony. Udrih scored 29 points, including an old-fashioned three-point play with 3:05 left that gave Sacramento an 86-73 lead that was too much to overcome for a team that couldn't shoot straight.

The Kings just didn't bring out the best in the Knicks, especially at the start, as the Knicks shot 25 percent in the first quarter. That was unusual, given that the Kings are sort of like the Nets, without the Anthony rumors.

The Anthony situation, which has persisted like a nagging winter runny nose, did infiltrate the Garden Friday night. Knicks president Donnie Walsh shook hands with Anthony's agent, Leon Rose, in the runway before the game. "I've got nothing for anybody. I'm here to watch the game," Rose told reporters.

Walsh said he'd be willing to talk with Rose "about anything," most likely Eddy Curry's future. As for the talks that have dragged on involving the Nuggets and Nets, Walsh said, "I'm not talking about that. I want to make that real clear."

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He admitted he gets peeved that trade rumors steal attention from the Knicks' strong first half. "I don't understand the frenzy we go through two or three times a year," Walsh said. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that, as happy as he is with the team, "Our job is to make the team better, so if there's something out there to make the team better, we're going to do it."

What the team needed Friday was a strong dose of energy and a side of accuracy. The Knicks haven't forgotten where they've come from - on some nights the past few years, they provided as little adrenaline for opponents as the Kings do. They just couldn't get much going offensively.

They trailed by nine at the end of the first quarter and four at the half. You figured they were going to get better. But luck didn't turn their way.

Turiaf left a minute into the third quarter with a sore right hip. The shooting didn't pick up immediately, either. The Knicks were down 69-58 after a dreary third quarter and the crowd was booing.

Notes & quotes: Danilo Gallinari (sprained knee) did not play but is likely to be back Monday and probably will start, coach Mike D'Antoni said.