The New York Knicks got a hard-fought 112-99 victory Sunday night against the surprisingly good Sacramento Kings. The Knicks improved to 14-13 and extended their winning streak to four games.
Coming into the game, I wondered how the Knicks would perform against a Kings team coming off a wild win in Cleveland where they ended the game on a 19-0 run to complete a fourth quarter comeback. Luckily, the Knicks didn’t have to deal with the Kings’ best player De’Aaron Fox, who missed his second straight game with a foot injury.
After a great first quarter, the game would get messy with both teams struggling from behind the arc and turning the ball over 17 times each.
New York has Julius Randle mostly to thank as he once again got off to a hot start scoring 17 of his total 27 points in the first quarter. While Randle’s great night was cut short after he got ejected in the third quarter, there were a lot of other positives to take from this game as the Knicks continued to improve and find consistency.
3 takeaways from the New York Knicks’ fourth straight win
1. The Knicks’ defense won them another game
One of the many overarching themes of the season has been the Knicks’ struggles defensively. What we’ve seen during this winning streak is a complete 180 from New York’s defense during the first 20 games.
Over the last six games, the Knicks have held each opponent to less than 23 points in the first quarter. It was especially impressive last night given that the Kings have been one of the best scoring teams of the season so far. The Knicks held the Kings to just 99 points on 39.8% shooting and have held opponents to 92.8 points per game during their winning streak.
Now to be fair, the Kings were without Fox, who averages around 23 points per game. New York also played the Hawks who were missing three starters and a Hornets team that is still without the services of All-Star guard LaMelo Ball. Nevertheless, you beat the teams you’re supposed to beat, and the Knicks have done just that.
So, sure, the Knicks have caught a break as of late, but it’s the effort that really impresses me. A lot of this has to do with Quentin Grimes being inserted back into the starting lineup after dealing with injuries to start the year. Miles McBride, who is now in the rotation, has also been a menace on the defensive end and played a big part in Trae Young’s struggles last week.
If the Knicks can continue asserting themselves defensively, they will find themselves winning a lot more games. With their next two games coming against a struggling Chicago Bulls team, the Knicks have a chance to really make up some ground in the Eastern Conference. Standing just 1.5 games back of the fourth spot in the East, it couldn’t have been a better time for New York to figure things out defensively. You just have to hope it lasts.
2. What does a Jalen Brunson injury mean going forward?
It cannot be overstated how much Jalen Brunson has meant to the Knicks’ offense so far this season. It has really been a sight for sore eyes to see Brunson orchestrate an offense and it has worked wonders for Julius Randle.
Brunson exited Sunday night’s game late with an ankle injury. He also took a hard fall on his side that he pushed through in the first half. Brunson, who has been slumping recently, looked more like himself last night, scoring 18 points with three assists on 50% shooting. The team is calling it a sprained ankle and as of Sunday night, Tom Thibodeau was unsure if Brunson would miss any time with the injury.
Another injury is the last thing New York needs right now. The Knicks are already without Obi Toppin, who will be out for at least several weeks with a leg injury. Losing Brunson for even a few games would be a major blow to the offense. Luckily, the Knicks don’t play until Wednesday which will give him some time to rest up.
If Brunson does end up sidelined, expect to see Immanuel Quickley in the starting lineup and possibly Derrick Rose back in the mix. It would offer Quickley an opportunity to play heavy minutes and show his skills running an offense. Better yet, it might show the front office that Quickley is worth holding onto, as reports have come out that he is possibly on the trading block.
3. RJ Barrett may finally be turning a corner
RJ Barrett played 44 minutes last night and filled the stat sheet with 27 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. He was aggressive and had some great takes to the hole. The big thing was that he got to the free throw line often. It was honestly one of the best games he’s played this season.
Barrett has not had a great season so far as he has struggled to shoot the ball efficiently. He also wasn’t finishing at the rim like we’ve become used to. He finally looks to be coming out of that and has been resembling the player we saw post All-Star break last year.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still a lot more room for improvement, but at least he’s trending upward. He still forces a lot of contested shots around the rim and he’s yet to find consistency from behind the arc, though he shot 2-of-5 from three last night.
Barrett, now in his fourth year in the NBA, signed a four-year contract extension this past summer worth $120 million. It ended the Donovan Mitchell saga for the Knicks and marked a full commitment to Barrett’s potential. The pressure that comes with that contract has put Barrett in the crosshairs of a lot of scrutiny from fans about his play so far this season.
A lot has quickly become uncertain when it comes to the future direction of the Knicks. Yet, nothing matters more to New York’s future than the development of RJ Barrett. Many, including myself, believe Barrett has All-Star potential and possibly even more than that. But there is still a lot of growth to take place. Last night’s performance was “All-Star like” and is now what is expected of him if the Knicks hope to have any success.
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