Representative defense is often an important part of success in the NBA, and an undeniable quality that must translate whether games are played at home or on the go.
As the Knicks have learned more than once this season, it’s nearly impossible to cover up a bad night shooting on the other side.
Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks had pulled out at the defensive end by registering three consecutive wins to largely offset the preceding five-game losing slip, but they dropped back below .500 for the season with a frustrating 103-94 loss Friday against the Kings in Sacramento, California.
Julius Randle posted 26 points with 15 rebounds despite consistent doubles teams, but the Knicks (8-9) were ultimately unable to overcome a 5-for-22 evening shooting from a 3-point range or a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. , and failed to build on Thursday’s defensively strong win at Golden State with a second straight win to open a four-game western trip.
“From the middle of the first quarter and the second quarter, I thought we were playing well. The third quarter got off to a good start, but then we got stuck and we clearly didn’t get off well, ”said Thibodeau. ‘They swarmed and we clearly weren’t taking pictures. And if you don’t take pictures it gets difficult sometimes. I liked the fight, but of course we want to end it better than we did. “
De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points, Harrison Barnes had 21 and impressive rookie point guard Tyrese Haliburton – 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft, four tips after the Knicks grabbed Obi Toppin – brought in 16 points, four blocks and two steals off the bench in 31 minutes when the Kings stopped their four-game losing slip.
The Knicks were only 3-for-18 from long distance to three-quarters, trailing 76-72 in the last 12 minutes. A 3 from Glenn Robinson III and a jumper from Cory Joseph barely four minutes into the fourth boosted Sacramento’s lead to a game-high of 12, 86-74.
A 3-pointer by Alec Burks and a converted three-point play by Randle accounted for a 13-3 point and got the Knicks back within two minutes with 4:30 left. But Haliburton’s 3 with 2:35 to go highlighted a 7-0 Sacramento run to complement the lead to 96-87.
‘We will always do that. We will always try to fight to the end no matter what, ”said RJ Barrett. “Sure, we haven’t done anything yet. I think we are still trying to learn and figure out how to win and as a team we bring that every night. “
Barrett finished with 21 points on 8-for-17 shots one night after recording a career-high 28 against the Warriors, while Mitchell Robinson contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks. Toppin had six in 12 minutes for the Knicks, whose journey continues Sunday-evening in Portland and concludes Tuesday in Utah.
The Knicks entered the game first in the NBA with the fewest points allowed (102.8 per game), while opponents retained the lowest field goal percentage (43.0 percent) and 3-point percentage (30.7 percent).
The Kings of Luke Walton came in because they had allowed the most points in the league – 123.0 per game – over their first 15 games. But they recorded a season-high 14 blocked shots, including six from center Richaun Holmes.
However, the intensity of the Knicks seemed to calm down after a 54-49 lead in the third quarter. Barnes’ lay-up and Buddy Hield’s 3-pointer mid-period helped the Kings regain the lead, 68-67, and bring a four-point fender to fourth.
“It wasn’t the usual high energy [in the third quarter], ‘Said Thibodeau. “Sometimes when you’re in back-to-back, you have to fight through those things. I liked the fight in the fourth quarter, but we didn’t close it. “