Kristaps Porzingis and company punished Sacramento’s sloppy defensive display on Saturday night as the Kings lost to the Knicks 118-91. The Kings entered on a two-game winning streak while the Knicks came off a loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
The Kings started well taking a 7-0 lead within the first two minutes, but bad defense and missed chances allowed the Knicks to tie the game later in the quarter. Porzingis put on a show with 15 points in the first quarter alone as the Knicks led 32-23.
By halftime, the Kings had allowed 64 points as they once again failed to score more than 50. Porzingis and Courtney Lee combined to score 39 while no Kings player scored more than eight.
The Kings found themselves in foul trouble early as Willie Cauley-Stein racked up four fouls before halftime, while Skal Labissiere added another 3, forcing the team to become more conservative on defense. The Knicks reaped the benefits at the three-point line, making 12 shots in the game compared to the Kings’ 7. New York went on to win 118-91, ending the Kings’ 2 game win streak.
The First unit’s struggles continued for the Kings as they were outscored by the bench 60-31. Labissiere and Buddy Hield led the team with 19 and 17 points respectively. George Hill, in particular, has struggled, shooting 9 of 32 over the last 5 games and scoring 25 points. The Kings next game is Monday as they travel to Washington to take on the Wizards.
