The final score did not reflect how badly the Knicks were crushed in this game — a 6pm Sunday game at Madison Square Garden with the 1-5 Knicks taking on the 1-5 Sacramento Kings.
Down 10 in the 1st
The Knicks jumped out to a 7-2 start, but then fell behind as Sacramento’s D’Aaron Fox started attacking and Buddy Hield started hitting shots. Sacramento led by about 10 at the end of 1 quarter, and then moved into a nearly 20-point lead in the 2nd quarter — again on the shooting by Hield and also Bogdan Bogdanovic; the Knicks at one point missed 10 straight shots.
Down 20 in the 2nd
Allonzo Trier was pulled off the end of the bench, and helped Marcus Morris get the Knicks back to within 12 with 4:46 left in the half. Sacramento called a time out and it was lights out for the Knicks after that. Sacramento moved the lead back up to 20 at the half. Hield was again popping 3’s, and “dancing and prancing in the paint” for floaters, and the Knicks kept hitting iron.
Down 30 in the 3rd
In the 3rd, Sacramento pushed the lead to 30 points — Harrison Barnes popping uncontested 3’s, D’Aaron Fox blowing past Frank Ntilikina to penetrate into the lane then kick it out for a wide-open Buddy Hield for a 3, etc — and on the other end — clank clank clank by the likes of Julius Randle (4-13 in this game and 0-3 from 3, for 8 pts and a -27; Randle is now 1-18 from 3 on the season).
Midway through the 3rd, the Knicks pulled back closer to the 20-point deficit mark, based mainly on the scoring of RJ Barrett. At the end of 3, the Knicks were down 26.
Played Even in the 4th
In the 4th quarter the Knicks pulled a little closer, and then stayed within 20 to make the loss respectable. Allonzo Trier (309 for 11 pts), RJ Barrett (8-20 for 22 pts),Marcus Morris (9-14 for 28 pts), and Mitchell Robinson (4-4, 10 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks in 25 min) stared for the Knicks.
RJ with the lefty scoop 🍧 pic.twitter.com/AYqlqEB2qq
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 4, 2019
Etcetera
According to fans at the game, “Fire Fizdale” chants were heard throughout the second half. Knicks fans evicerated Fizdale on Twitter.
After the game, there was controversy as to how many minutes RJ Barrett played — 41 minutes in a blowout. Fizdale dismissed a reporter’s question as to the 19-year old’s load management: “He’s got the day off tomorrow,” David Fizdale said. “We gotta get off this load management crap. Latrell Sprewell averaged 42 minutes for a season. This kid’s 19 years old. Drop it.”.
Mitchell Robinson did not start this game — instead Bobby Portis did to open up spacing for Julius Randle. This was also met with controversy, as the Knicks quickly fell in the 10-point 1st quarter deficit, with a lack of interior defense.
The RJ → Mitch connect 💥 pic.twitter.com/IYYuPpmpup
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 4, 2019
The Boxscore
https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401160729
Be the first to comment