Knicks begin 4-game road trip West with high-scoring Kings
Knicks forward Julius Randle shoots over Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington during the second half of an NBA game on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/John Minchillo
You wouldn’t think the Knicks at the Sacramento Kings would be a marquee matchup. But the folks at TNT must have thought so because on Feb. 25 they “flexed” Thursday’s game into a must-see national TV affair.
Well, maybe not “must-see” for those who can’t stay up for the 10 p.m. New York time tip-off. But with the Knicks just having had a nine-game winning streak broken and Sacramento currently tied for the second-best record in the West at 38-26, the TV honchos must have known what they were doing.
The Knicks dropped a 112-105 decision to the Charlotte Hornets at the Garden on Tuesday, ending their nine-game winning streak and sending them to a four-game Western swing on a bit of a down note.
But the Knicks have a 20-12 road record compared to 19-16 at home. So playing at Sacramento, then in Los Angeles against the Clippers (Saturday) and Lakers (Sunday), and then ending in Portland on Tuesday doesn’t stress them.
“I think what makes us successful is when we go on the road we don't really change too much in terms of our preparation and stuff like that,” said RJ Barrett, who scored 27 points on Tuesday. “Guys are really locked in and we just have a team of guys that kind of come ready every day and put the work in — are really focused on just basketball and trying to win these games. So I think that's what it is.”
The Knicks won’t know when or if star point guard Jalen Brunson will be able to play on the trip. He’s day-to-day after missing the last two games with a sore left foot.
Brunson would certainly fit right in in what promises to be a high-scoring game against Sacramento. The Knicks didn’t have their ‘A’ offense or calm leadership without him on Tuesday and it cost them down the stretch.
“You still want to be able to navigate through that,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Sometimes if the ball’s not going in, you let that take away from other parts of your game. We didn't get easy scoring opportunities, like sometimes that can get you going, but you’ve got to learn from it. We’ve got to get better. It doesn't stop. We know we're heading out to Sacramento. They’re an unbelievable offensive team, so we have to be at our best.”
Asked what he hopes to learn about his squad on this trip, Thibodeau said: “As we go through the season, I don't want us to change our approach. And that's what I really like about this team, is just concentrate on exactly what's in front of you. So learn from tonight. Then, tomorrow it's all about getting ready for Sacramento. Don't look ahead. Just think about the improvements we have to make. Get ready for that game. But then when that game’s gone, get ready for the next one. Just keep going step by step. Don't jump ahead. We know we're playing really good teams."
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
