Knicks-Kings Game Gets Royal, National TV Treatment

The New York Knicks' upcoming showdown with the Sacramento Kings on April 4 has been flexed to national television.

New York Knicks v Sacramento Kings / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

One of the most explosive interconference matchups left on the NBA's regular season calendar is moving to TNT.

The NBA's national television schedule has been updated to include April 4's tilt between the New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. It'll tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET and be a part of TNT's weekly Thursday night slate, serving as a doubleheader with a Western tilt showcasing the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. The game will also be simulcast on TruTV as part of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery's plan to further integrate TNT Sports coverage on the network, which is best known for its reality programming and airing of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

New York Knicks v Sacramento Kings / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

Removed from the national slate was another interconference battle, as the Knicks and Kings usurped the Atlanta Hawks' visit to Dallas.

Both New York and Sacramento are looking to lock up spots on their respective conference's playoff brackets: the Knicks hold a healthy four-game lead over seventh-place Miami while the Kings entered Tuesday night play tied for sixth in the West, holding the tiebreaker over the aforementioned Dallas Mavericks. This is the second season in a row where a Knicks-Kings game didn't originally appear on the national slate but eventually earned a promotion.

As the Knicks look to close in on their automatic playoff berth, which would create their first occasion of consecutive appearances since 2011-13, three of their final 11 regular season games will attract the national airwaves. Another TNT game awaits on April 12 in Boston, five days after they face Milwaukee on NBA TV.

The two sides previously did battle on March 16, which saw the Knicks prevail in a 98-91 final. It proved to be another brilliant showcase for Jalen Brunson, who scored 42 points in the win at Golden 1 Center. Isaiah Hartenstein also pulled in 14 rebounds while helping hold Sacramento star Domantas Sabonis scoreless in the final period.