Knicks look to avenge recent loss to lowly Kings

The first time this month the New York Knicks gained some momentum, it vanished with a surprising loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The Knicks will look to avoid repeating history Tuesday night when they host the Kings in the final battle of the season between the nonconference foes.

The Knicks have been off since Saturday night, when they rode a dominant third quarter to a 112-109 win over the host Philadelphia 76ers. The visiting Kings suffered their fifth straight loss Sunday night, falling to the Detroit Pistons 139-116.

The win was the second straight for the Knicks -- their first set of consecutive victories since a three-game streak from Dec. 25-29. In between, New York went 2-9 with a pair of four-game losing streaks.

The second skid started Jan. 14 when the Knicks, who had won two of their last three games, lost 112-101 to the Kings, who fired current New York head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27, 2024, after more than two seasons at the helm and the franchise's only playoff appearance since 2006.

Brown looked as if he might be in danger of suffering a similar fate when the Knicks -- whose impatient and reclusive owner, James Dolan, said during a rare radio appearance earlier this month that he expected his team to make and then win the NBA Finals -- sustained their fourth straight defeat by trailing wire-to-wire in a 114-97 loss to the floundering Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 19.

But the Knicks achieved their most lopsided victory in franchise history last Wednesday, crushing the Brooklyn Nets 120-66, before showing some familiar traits Saturday in a game that could impact postseason seeding in the Eastern Conference. New York stayed in fourth place in the East and now sits 3 games ahead of the 76ers, who occupy the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.

The Knicks held 76ers star Joel Embiid scoreless in the third quarter, when they outscored Philadelphia 30-13. New York, known for its hustle and grit under former head coach Tom Thibodeau, also held a 26-4 advantage in second-chance points.

"When you're a team that's struggling to put together wins, you got to do the little things," Knicks forward Josh Hart said. "You've got to have good attention to detail, good focus, good energy and you've got to get all those 50-50 balls."

The sight of the Knicks across the court Tuesday will serve as a reminder of the best stretch of the year for the struggling Kings, who are in 14th place in the Western Conference, just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The win over the Knicks was the third in a season-long four-game winning streak for the Kings, who bookended the streak with lengthy losing streaks. Sacramento dropped seven straight, one loss shy of its season-high, from Dec 28 through Jan. 9.

The Kings' current skid began Jan. 18 with a 117-110 loss to the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. The 23-point loss Sunday marked the 11th time this season Sacramento has lost by at least 20.

Head coach Doug Christie, who replaced Brown last season, lamented the lack of physicality from the Kings this season, who are allowing an average of 121.1 points per game, the fourth-highest figure in the NBA.

"We have to not only match the physicality of the opponent, but exceed it, in my opinion," Christie said. "That can be uncomfortable. It can be uncomfortable not only for yourself, but it can be uncomfortable for them because when you're that physical with somebody, it's going to cause a reaction and you've got to be about that life."