Back-to-back wins over the Jazz and Clippers have relieved some of the pressure on the Sacramento Kings, however that doesn’t mean they can relax tonight as they head into Madison Square Garden for a date with the Knicks. This is a good revenge spot for Sacramento after getting beaten by New York 98-91 about 3 weeks ago, in a game in which they shot just 35% from the field and a pedestrian 27% from three. Shooting from distance has become a major issue ever since Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter suffered season ending injuries, without those two the Kings are forced to dig deep into their bench to find some type of production. Playing at MSG has been a tough task lately, they’ve covered just twice in the last 7 games there. The Knicks also have an edge in head-to-head meetings with 5 wins in the last 6 played.
The Knicks’ latest 3 game losing streak has all but eliminated them from battling for the 2nd seed in the East. Considering the state these Knicks are currently in, the priority over the final 7 games of the season is to avoid the play-in tournament at all cost. Miami, Indiana and Philadelphia are all lurking behind, if this losing streak continues the Knicks could ruin all the good things they’ve done in the first few months of the season. It’ll be up to Jalen Brunson to keep them afloat here, he had 42 points in the win over Sacramento earlier this season. However, in Tuesday’s loss at Miami he was limited to only 20 points on 5-for-18 shooting. The Knicks are still without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle, while Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are both questionable to play here.
