Knicks at Kings Preview: How, Who to Watch in Royal Engagement
The New York Knicks are in a position at least somewhat fit for a king.
New York continues to hold the fourth seed on the current Eastern Conference playoff bracket and is slowly starting to inch back toward something resembling full strength now that OG Anunoby is (possibly) back. The Knicks will look to make a statement as the tri-state area puts the coffee on as they face the Sacramento Kings in an interconference tilt on Saturday night.
The Knicks enter Thursday's game on a winning streak for the first time since early February, having taken down shorthanded squads from Philadelphia and Portland earlier this week. Thursday saw the Knicks handle the Trail Blazers by a 105-93 final thanks in part to a 45-point out from Jalen Brunson.
Sacramento won't sympathize with the Knicks' playoff positioning, as they're likewise trying to create separation between themselves and their conference's Play-In Tournament. The Kings hold the sixth and final automatic playoff spot entering the weekend as winners of four of their last five, including a 120-107 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. Saturday's game will be the penultimate showing of a six-game homestand.
This will be the first of two meetings between the Knicks and Kings this season, as the two teams split last year's couple. Both sides successfully defended their respective home floors, with Sacramento winning 122-117 at Golden 1 Center last March. A rematch is slated for April 4 at Madison Square Garden.
Anunoby is officially listed as questionable for Saturday's game due to "injury management" issues stemming from the elbow ailment that kept him out of 18 games prior to this week.
What: New York Knicks (39-27) @ Sacramento Kings (38-27)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When/Watch: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, MSG
Who's Favored: SAC -3.5
Keep An Eye On: Miles McBride
If Anunoby is forced to sit out, the pressure will rise on the holdovers to match his defensive intensity. Firmly entrenched in the New York rotation, McBride has gotten things done on both sides of the ball and he'll have his work cut out for him against a Kings group that ranks fourth in both successful three-pointers and two-point field goal percentage. Having finally found some form of roster stability, it's time for McBride to prove he can keep it.
John Jones, USA TODAY SPORTS
King to Watch: Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis finds himself in a position similar to that of 2022-23 Jalen Brunson: for all intents and purposes, he should find himself in the MVP race but his team's dwelling in the bottom of half of the playoff picture removes some of the luster. He's taken things to a whole new level in March: in seven appearances thus far, he's averaging over 21 points and 16 rebounds while shooting over 61 percent from the floor. The modern Knicks are a tad familiar with his gamebreaking abilities, as he put up a triple-double the last time the two sides faced off in California's capital.
They Said It
“There’s going to be some times where there’s gonna be soreness. He played through it. He was fine. (The doctors) looked at him. There’s going be times where he gets hit and you just try to keep going. So we’ll see where he is ... There’s going to be bumps and bruises in every game and then you check after the game, you check in the morning. But we were expecting there to be some bumps and bruises like that."-head coach Tom Thibodeau on OG Anunoby's elbow injury (h/t Stefan Bondy, New York Post)
Prediction
Dealing with the Anunoby situation is going to be an unfortunate reality over these final regular season hours for the Knicks, who are desperate for any form of chemistry-building moments they can get their hands on as the postseason looms. Facing a Sacramento group that's likewise starting to get comfortable is a tough matchup as the first hurdle of his return is a tough challenge and a little daunting. There are opportunities to get better on this road trip, even if the Knicks have to suffer some adversity along the way. Saturday could come to perfectly define that mindset.
