NBA: New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings Preview, Odds, Prediction

The New York Knicks visit the Sacramento Kings this Monday night. Tom Thibodeau’s unit is in California, where they had a game less than 24 hours ago, against the LA Clippers, whom they defeated. The Kings are home following a very nasty stretch that saw them traveling up and down throughout the states. They are still in the play-in mix but will have to start winning pretty soon. On the other side, the Knicks’ chances to see the play-in are fading, and the next few games will determine their destiny for this campaign.

Preview

New York Knicks (26-38, +145) had seven straight losses, eleven in the past 12 games until upsetting the Clippers last night at the Crypto.com Arena. The event’s final result was 116-93 for the guests from the Big Apple, who outscored the rival 34-18 in the second period, creating a gap that solved the game.

The difference-maker on the court was rebounding, as Clippers couldn’t control the glass, having only 43 boards, 14 fewer than the Knicks. Also, NYK outscored the rivals from under the rim, 50-36.

RJ Barrett once again had a team-high with 24 points, and he also added nine boards and four assists. Immanuel Quickley got off the bench to post a double-double, 21 buckets, 10 rebounds, dishing six assists to the teammates. Alec Burks had 15 points, Cam Reddish 17, also off the bench. Mitchell Robinson also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. 

Sacramento Kings (24-42, -170) have subsequent wins and losses in the previous four contests, with the most recent event taking place in Dallas. The Mavs squeezed out a win in the closing moments, with Dorian Finney-Smith hitting a go-ahead three to set the final result, 114-113. 

De’Aaron Fox was fantastic in that event, dropping 44 points with six assists, 18-for-31 shooting from the field. But he was the only one above the average in Sacramento, which was the biggest reason for their loss in this clash.

Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, Trey Lyles scored 11 points, and Done DiVincenzo had 10 with eight boards. Harrison Barnes disappointed, the same as Justin Holiday, as both had nine points each, shooting 7-for-20 combined. The Kings made nine threes in 25 shots, which was another reason for a defeat, and their problems with long-distance shooting are now chronic.

Head to Head 

The Knicks hosted the Kings on January 31 at Madison. They would easily route the guests from Sacramento, 116-96. Burks had a team-high with 21 points, Evan Fournier scored 18 points, and Julius Randle dropped 17 with nine boards. 

On the other side, Tyrese Haliburton (who was later traded to Indiana) dropped 21 buckets, while Davion Mitchell added 18. 

Prediction

The Kings are back home, and that will be a massive relief for the entire locker room. Fox and the boys were absent too long, and now have a chance to make up for all that with a relatively favorable schedule. The Knicks did defeat the Clippers, but hey, coincidences happen. We believe that they won’t be able to provide back-to-back wins in this situation, mostly because of fatigue. That’s why we pick the hosts to win.

Pick: Kings win